Prior to the current BMW M8, the automaker built an M version of the 1990s wedge-shaped E31 8-Series, and even a one-off prototype. The car was recently revived in a video from the BMW Group Classic, which includes interviews with some of the engineers who developed it.
The E31 M8 prototype includes a version of the S70 6.0-liter V-12 that was used in the then new 850i coupe. This engine was developed at 550 hp, and was fed by a huge intake duct designed to keep incoming air as cool as possible. It also requires additional throttle valves to reduce idle speed, which would have been 2,000 rpm to 3,000 rpm without them, an engineer said. It was a real bear to drive this car slowly.
In order to keep the weight low and low, the car also has a dry-sump lubrication system, including an oil tank in the trunk because there was not enough space under the hood. The engine is refueled through a line on the roof and the sound of flow can be heard from inside the vehicle, an engineer said.
BMW M8 (E31) prototype
Although BMW decided not to build the M8, it did give the Temer 850CSi the green light, creating a 5.6-liter V-12 with 375 hp. A production M8 will not come until the current G15-Generation 8-Series. Available as a coupe, convertible, or four-door Gran Coupe, the G15 M8 S63 uses a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, producing 617 hp on competing models.
The V-12 of the prototype M8 was not damaged though. A version of this was later used in the McLaren F1, and another evolution was used in the Le Mans-winning BMW V12 LMR prototype racer. BMW has even stuffed the Le Mans-spec V-12 into an X5 SUV.
The original M8 prototype was thought to have been destroyed, but in 2010 it was revealed to still exist and was later recovered by BMW. After three decades of sitting, the lining of the racing-style fuel cell was broken, but the car is still running. Watch the video to hear it and learn more about the car. We’ll probably see it move in a video in the future.