GT racing cars are typically based on production
models. And so it is with the new BMW M8 GTE. The difference here is that BMW
has unveiled the competition version before the road-going model. The racing
version of the Bavarian automaker's forthcoming flagship sports coupe, the new
M8 GTE is set to replace the M6 GTLM and Z4 GTE as BMW's top sports racer – and
mark its anticipated return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the new BMW M8
GTE packs a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 – based on the production block and
cylinder heads – mandated by regulations to produce no more than 500
horsepower. Power is transmitted by a six-speed sequential gearbox.
Since the production model (previewed by the
stunning concept at Villa d'Este) wasn't already finished when development
began on the M8 GTE, computer simulation played a big part in developing the
traction control and the vehicle's form.
The use of carbon-fiber bodywork helped keep weight
down to 2,700 pounds – a good 55 lbs less than the regulations allow, which
means the team ought to be able to play around with extra ballast to tweak the
vehicle's handling balance.
Look for the M8 GTE to mark its race debut at the 24
Hours of Daytona in Florida come January as it gears up to take on the IMSA
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America and the FIA World Endurance
Championship in Europe and around the globe. When it hits La Sarthe, it'll mark
the first time that the factory will enter Le Mans since the M3 GT2 last raced
in 2011.
That'll be all well and fine for race fans, but the
bigger indication this debut gives us is how the road-going 8 Series will look.
Strip away in your mind's eye the competition-spec aero and the fresh take on
the traditional BMW Motorsport livery and you should have a fairly accurate picture of what
Munich's new flagship will look like.
