8 big ones that we would like to try

At the end of the 1980s, BMW presented the 8 Series coupe. This car, which led the brand’s range, was almost worthy of a higher version, as the M8 had been studied. The concept had been released, unfortunately BMW didn’t follow through, making the 850 CSi the more powerful version the 8 Series deserved.

The current 8 series is not the first in the history of BMW, even if a good twenty years separate this generation from the first. On the other hand, the M8 is a first, as the first version had to do with the 850 CSi version. That said, the latter didn’t have to be shy about its technical sheet, as it had a 380 horsepower V12, enough to respond with respect to the strong competition, especially formed by the Mercedes SL600, also equipped with a V12.

However, in the 90s, the 850 CSi found itself slightly behind its rivals, which pushed BMW to consider a more powerful version. This is how the M8 project was born, which quite simply consists of making the 8 Series even better than it already is. The 12-cylinder V retains its place under the hood, still without a turbo, and sees its displacement increase to more than 6 liters. Power? 640 horsepower, according to BMW, and a torque of 650 Nm. Oh, and the manual gearbox was still there!

The current M8 is less powerful than this model of the M8

Unfortunately, this M8 never got the green light to go into production, so it remained forever in the prototype stage. A rejection that BMW fans still regret today, as this car was very promising. With such a technical paper, it could protect itself from competition for a few years without worry.

Apart from the engine, BMW had made several modifications. This M8 abandoned the removable headlamps of the Series 8, placing the optical units in the lower part of the shield. The rear wings got two air intakes, while the tracks were widened. The brand had also added an opening to the hood, while the car received new, aerodynamic mirrors.

Inside, this M8 was sharper, with bucket seats. The interior was stripped, stripped of nothing more. The back seat was removed, the windows were replaced with Lexan panels, the wheels were made of carbon fiber … The goal? Make the car as lean as possible. Motorsport engineers succeeded, as the M8 weighed more than 1,400 kg, a feat for a machine of this size.

The rest is history. The economic crisis of the early 1990s convinced BMW to abandon the project, leaving the flagship role to the 850 CSi. It is said that there is only one copy of this M8 model, kept by the brand itself. Fans were finally treated to a real M8, almost 2 decades later. But, whatever people say, that 90s would have a very different taste…