This is the concept of the first BMW M8 that was secretly built

The first BMW M8 is not the one you think you know. In 1990, the Bavarian brand secretly worked on the concept of the BMW M8. The BMW M8 was conceived as a direct competitor to Ferrari. It was equipped with a special version of the S70 engine that delivered 558 CV of power. The project was scrapped because BMW and its performance division, BMW M, decided there was no market for a high-performance variant of its 8 Series due to the economic recession of the 1990s.

The only prototype built, whose safety for normal road use is unknown, was kept by the brand in the company’s Giftschrank. BMW and BMW M have always strongly denied that the car existed. However, an exclusive article in the February 2010 edition of BMW Car Magazine revealed that the BMW M8 concept still exists in its entirety. The sports car was then presented to motoring journalists for the first time on July 2, 2010, at the BMW Museum in Munich.

The general public was able to see it on August 17, 2012, during the “The Legends of the Autobahn” exhibition held in California.

This is the concept of the first BMW M8 that was secretly built

The first BMW M8 has the internal code E31. In 1991, the Bavarian brand began work on a secret prototype using a variant of the V12 engine: the S70/2. This powertrain produced 558 CV, dry-sump lubrication and variable valve timing. Engineers worked on a specific chassis that could withstand so much power but, ultimately, both BMW Motorsport and M Technik chose to discard it due to its high costs.

Beyond its high costs, the BMW M8 concept met BMW Motorsport’s requirements but had weight problems. Engineers used lightweight materials such as carbon fibre, Kevlar and Plexiglas, applying them to the doors and wheel arches. They also replaced the pop-up headlights, fitted Kevlar seats with safety harnesses and a large-scale body kit.

Although the first BMW M8 never managed to run, the Bavarian brand used an even more limited version of its engine in the BMW 850 CSi. This engine was called S70/1 or S70B56. Moreover, this same engine was involved in the development of the McLaren F1. Remember? It featured a 6.1-litre V12 capable of delivering 635 CV of power and 650 Nm of maximum torque.