Automobile has taken a look into the medium-term future product plans of the German automakers, and one of the interesting nuggets is that BMW is still working on an M8. An updated BMW M1 has been a fantasy since the last of the 456 original M1s rolled off the line in 1981, and we're told that the coming M8 will finally be the proper successor.
Apparently there's still some conflict to be worked through: company CEO Norbert Reithofer isn't exactly sold on it, whereas M Division president Friedrich Nitschke "doesn't take no for an answer." If you'll remember, the 1 Series M Coupe had to leap the same hurdles, the BMW brass not smitten with the business-case numbers, but Kay Segler, M Division president at the time, pushed it through. And we saw how well that worked out.
Automobile posits that Nitschke could put the M8 on the same carbon fiber and aluminum platform as the BMW i8, saving money on the architecture and getting a head start on weight reduction. It's taken 30 years of dreaming to get us this close, and along the way and only recently we've seen concepts like the BMW M1 Hommage (above), and before that a rumored twin-turbo V10 with 625 horsepower, as well as a gentler, greener two-seat Z10 ED with a twin-turbo six cylinder and 400 hp. Just one year ago BMW told us, "We've discussed these possibilities. But ultimately, we didn't feel the need to make a very exclusive high-end supercar and we still don't." Let's hope that this time Nitschke can close the deal.
Apparently there's still some conflict to be worked through: company CEO Norbert Reithofer isn't exactly sold on it, whereas M Division president Friedrich Nitschke "doesn't take no for an answer." If you'll remember, the 1 Series M Coupe had to leap the same hurdles, the BMW brass not smitten with the business-case numbers, but Kay Segler, M Division president at the time, pushed it through. And we saw how well that worked out.
Automobile posits that Nitschke could put the M8 on the same carbon fiber and aluminum platform as the BMW i8, saving money on the architecture and getting a head start on weight reduction. It's taken 30 years of dreaming to get us this close, and along the way and only recently we've seen concepts like the BMW M1 Hommage (above), and before that a rumored twin-turbo V10 with 625 horsepower, as well as a gentler, greener two-seat Z10 ED with a twin-turbo six cylinder and 400 hp. Just one year ago BMW told us, "We've discussed these possibilities. But ultimately, we didn't feel the need to make a very exclusive high-end supercar and we still don't." Let's hope that this time Nitschke can close the deal.
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