BMWs Upcoming 8 Series Transformed Into M8 GTE Race Car

Based on the upcoming BMW M8 Coupe , the M8 GTE will mark BMWs return to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2018, including the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, where BMW has not raced for the past 6 years.

The new car, which is being tested this year, will run in 2018 in the FIA World Endurance Series, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and in the IMSA WeatherTech Series in the US. BMW Team MTEK, which has been testing the M8 GTE, will run two cars in WEC.

The 2018 BMW M8 GTE race car has been unveiled at this weeks Frankfurt motor show, teamed with confirmation the German marque will make its Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race return after a seven-year hiatus.

This afternoon in Frankfurt, the BMW M8 GTE finally showed its true self, shedding its camouflage but not yet sporting the final livery the twin-turbo V8 will have when the MTEK team, tasked with running the car, enters it in the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year.

The M8 GTE is part of the wide-ranging product offensive from BMW at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show , and is powered by a 4.-litre turbocharged V8. The V8 engines cylinder block and cylinder head are from the upcoming 8-series production car, and has more than 500bhp at its disposal as per race regulations.

Starting with the 2018 season, we want to further expand our activities in GT racing and compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship," Marquardt said earlier this year "This obviously also includes our return to Le Mans, which we are particularly looking forward to. The way the WEC has developed so well makes us confident that there is a big future for GT racing.”

The BMW 8 Series is still just a concept car , but enthusiasts are already eagerly waiting the arrival of the hardcore M8 We expect the M8 to utilize the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 from the new M5, producing upwards of 615 hp We knew that we wouldnt be seeing a production version of the regular 8 Series or the M8 at Frankfurt, but we were expecting to see the racing version of the car called the M8 GTE.

The M8 GTE also shows hints as to what the regular production version of the 8 Series and M8 will look like, with BMW saying that the race car shares the same roofline and design of the front and rear lights.

Yep, the Bavarian marque is heading back to Le Mans and endurance racing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and North Americas IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with this, the M8 GTE.

BMW achieved much of this weight loss with extensive uses of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) and much of the same technique and design used to make the M8 GTE race car has also gone into the 8 Series and M8 road cars.

The brand of the car has ready current model year of Bmw M8 2018 Video Official Basis For New Bmw M8 Gte Race Car Le Mans Bmw 8 Series 2017 Carjam Tv which appears refreshed and improved than ever and the new model will certainly come with sharper lines and extra aerodynamic appear.

DSC understands however that BMWs initial plans for the new GTE car were dashed after initial outline approval from the FIA over the waivers required for their original chosen design were over-ruled by at least two other GTE manufacturers, BMW initially planning to make a substantial change to the overall dimensions of the car - believed to involve c.10 cms being removed from the height of the race car compared to the roadgoing version.

As well as taking on the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, Ferrari 488 GTE, Ford GT, Porsche 911 RSR, and upcoming Aston Martin Vantage GTE i n the WEC, BMW says its new flagship international GT racing car will also compete in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).

On display at Frankfurt finished in a classically-inspired BMW M Motorsport livery, the M8 GTE teams a twin-turbo 4.-litre V8 with a nominal base output of more than 500hp (368kW), depending on the classification”, with a six-speed paddle-shifted sequential racing gearbox and a Sachs carbon-fibre clutch.

Employing the same cylinder block and cylinder head as the engine to be used in the production car, the M8 GTE is also equipped with a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) drive shaft, a limited-slip rear differential, four-way adjustable shock absorbers front and rear, and adjustable anti-roll barsIts powertrain hasnt yet been officialised, but its a safe bet that it will get the new BMW M5 s twin-turbo, 4.4-litre V8 that will punch out more at least 600 horsepower.

It does not feature the same narrow and sleek front-end which could be a divisive feature for some as that is an iconic feature of the 8 Series and a talking points of the new car.

Tomczyk also gave the car a glowing review by simply saying, I had great fun with the car.” And that in my opinion, is something that would be crucial to a race car driver, especially one competing in a 24hr race which means they will spend as much as 6 straight hours in it. Nobody wants to drive a high-performance car that isnt fun to drive.

BMWs history with Le Mans, however, dates all the way back to 1939, when a 328 claimed a class victory after 236 laps of the then 13.-kilometre French circuit.

The BMW M5 of the new sixth generation has got an engine with a capacity of 600 hp, which provides acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, as well as M xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Carbon fiber and aluminium are used to accent the leather while the Swarovski glass on the iDrive controller g ives the cabin an extra-premium feel.

In a short statement, BMW said: it features Classical M features like larger air intakes, modified brakes and a sports exhaust with four tailpipes hint at the significantly boosted power and dynamic potential of the car and whet the appetite for a driving experience of intense emotional richness”.

The front-end is a sporty, low-slung with kidney grille, slim twin headlights and large air intakes form sporty front-end graphics.

Classical M features like larger air intakes, modified brakes and a sports exhaust with four tailpipes hint at the significantly boosted power and dynamic potential of the car and whet the appetite for a driving experience of intense emotional richness.

2018 BMW M8 GTE Racecar

The 2,689 -lb car race car rides on a 113.4-inch wheelbase and has a footprint thats 196.1 inches long and 80.6 inches wide.

Ive also had 2 VWs, both Passats, the first was fine but I only had it for 20,000 miles and the other broke a gearbox at 63,000 miles, so just out of warranty (a £2,800 repalcement apparently though after a few hours of hassling, VW did pick up most of the cost), and also suffered a number of other more minor issues that required trips to the dealer.