BMW M Hybrid V8: Automotive Nudity at Its Best

BMW Art Car: A New Canvas

In 1975, Alexander Calder transformed BMW’s first Art Car into an E9 3.0 CSL. Jump ahead to this year and the esteemed German luxury brand declared work has commenced for its 20th Art Vehicle. Most of these bespoke works have been race cars and the up and coming realisation is no different given the M Hybrid V8 will be used as the artist’s palette. Prestigious Ethiopian-born artist Julie Mehretu has been granted the honourable prospect of crafting the subsequent official Art Car.

Prior to that, the M Hybrid V8 was spotted at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and its carbon fiber body was left in its barest form. We don’t often view a motor vehicle with an exposed carbon ornamental shell and this particular model is all the more eye-catching due to BMW’s LMDh contour. The car is already being employed in IMSA – where it recorded its initial victory recently – and will be taking part in next season’s WEC competitions including Le Mans. It will be 2024 when BMW’s Motorsports branch commemorates the 25th anniversary of the V12 LMR’s triumph at the French track.

Despite BMW M road cars becoming ever more hefty throughout the years, the M Hybrid V8 stands out for being incredibly light at just 1,030 kilograms (2,270 pounds). A comparison between a street-legal model and a specifically designed race car isn’t legitimate, yet the single-seater is still reasonably large. Evident from its especially wide kidney grille, driving it on public roads will be no mean feat, not that the opportunity will ever arise. That notwithstanding, many manufacturers have introduced road-legal versions of their top end endurance racing models, with the Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion and Mercedes CLK GTR as prime examples.

Powered by a V8 engine distinct from the innovative S68 twin-turbo 4.4-liter found in the latest M cars and the previous S63, the internally designated P66/3 utilizes a 4.0-liter displacement rooted in the engine utilized by the M4 DTM in 2017. It is good for a maximum of 640hp and 650Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque.

Source: BMW