BMW's M-Division offensive continues as this topless M8 prototype
was spotted at the BMW M Test Center in Nurburg. As you can see, the
convertible version of the M8 will deploy a soft-top system, much like the car
it will eventually do battle with, the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Cabriolet.
Also, with a soft-top, BMW engineers can make the
convertible M8 lighter than it would have been had they used a hardtop. Then of
course, less weight means better performance, of which, we should get plenty.
Unless BMW switches things up, the M8 (both the
Coupe and the Convertible) could land with somewhere around 600 PS and
more than 750 Nm of torque, all coming from its 4.4-liter TwinPower
Turbo V8. In the all-new M5, this engine helps move the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds.
However, recent reports suggest that BMW could
employ a "more highly stressed version" of this powertrain for the
M8, which would be great since anything above 600 horses should work wonders
for what will become BMW's flagship M car.
As for looks, this particular prototype appears to
be hiding big air intakes, while the quad exhaust system, bigger brakes and
M-specific wheels are quite visible, as is the fact that the car is sitting
closer to the road. The BMW M8 Cabriolet, together with its Coupe sibling,
should arrive in showrooms sometime next year.
Cr : Carscoops