In mid-June, BMW will race the shapely M8 GTE at the
24 Hours of Le Mans and continues to put the final touches on the car.
Filmed here during recent tests at Italy’s Monza
circuit, the M8 GTE shares a plethora of similar components with the road-going
8-Series. Power comes courtesy of a 4.0-liter biturbo V8 engine delivering
between 500 hp and 600 hp depending on the specification and the series which
the car is racing in. The M5’s engine was used as the base.
This powertrain creates an intoxicating soundtrack
that sounds very different than other V8-powered race cars of this kind. You
can thank the flat crankshaft for the addictive sound. BMW says the engine is
the most efficient race engine it has ever designed. The automaker has also
customized the combustion chambers for racing and implemented no less than 985
unique parts over the M5 engine.
What is perhaps even more exciting than the fact
that the M8 GTE will race at Le Mans is that the road-going 8-Series Coupe will
also premiere during the race weekend. Launching in M850i xDrive form, it’s set
to arrive with a 4.4-liter V8 delivering 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque through
an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the ground via all
four wheels.
