Would you rather have a BMW i8 or an SLS-fighting BMW M8 supercar?
Seems like a laughable idea, right? Well, chuckles, don’t get too giggly. In 2016, you’ll have exactly that choice.
BMW has already sold out of its i8 eco-friendly sports car in spite the fact that production for 2014 hasn’t even kicked into high gear, according to Autocar.
“We are delighted with the interest in the car, which will stand at the heart of what BMW is about – performance and sustainability,” said BMW’s head of marketing, Ian Robertson, who did not say how many i8s would be built in 2014.
That’s not the only 8 that BMW has big plans for coming up. Bimmer will also be building an M8 in 2016 to rival the Mercedes-Benz SLS, which, by then, could be more powerful and dubbed the SLC.
BMW brass has set their sights on cars like the Mercedes SLS and the Nissan GT-R and decided to build a car to rival both. Following in the lineage of Bimmer’s first supercar, the M1, the M8 will be light weight – around 3,300 pounds – and powerful.
The M8 will, according to German auto site Auto Bild, be powered by the M5’s turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 making 600-650 horsepower backed by a nine-speed automatic. All of this will be wedged into a modified version of the i8’s specially designed carbon fiber form.
The dour Bimmer boys aim to have the M8 achieve a 0-62 mph sprint in 3.0 seconds and a top speed of around 200 mph.
Presumably, the M8 will be a fulfillment of the original i8 concept. Apparently BMW tried to fit the i8 with a V8 before overheating issues left designers with little choice than to bolt up a 1.5-liter three-cylinder and some electric motors instead.
If you’re hoping for some retro styling cues in the M8 like that of the M1 you see above? Don’t hold your breath. BMW is going to keep the M8 supercar fully 21st century.
Is it a coincidence that the M8 is announced around the time that BMW announces the sales success of its i8 green sportster? Could be. Whatever the inspiration for the M8 is reason enough for me.
