A spiritual successor to the M1? BMW says no.
BMW enthusiasts have dreamed of a mid-engined BMW since 2008, when their favorite brand introduced the M1 Homage Concept to mark the 30th anniversary the iconic M1. The Vision M Next concept was unveiled by the Bavarians in June 2019. It is a supercar that has the engine behind the seats. The Nurburgring was home to an intriguing M8 prototype. It looked almost like a mid-engined car. BMW replaced the rear-side windows with blacked-out covers with vents. It also used camouflage to conceal whatever it was testing on that day. Many people jumped to conclusions that M8 Coupe was a test mule for mid-engined vehicles. It turns out that this is not true. German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reached out to BMW to find out more about the mysterious prototype. It did not have a midmounted engine. According to the company, it was testing various new components and used M8 as its carrier.
BMW did not give any details about those bits. However, whatever they were, a combustion engine was not one of them. The hybrid powertrain might have been the M8, with the proven inline-six and the electric motor. This motor would have been at the back of the vehicle, presumably to power the rear wheels and the ICE propelling the front axle. BMW M already expressed interest in electrification, with the Vision M Next powered with an electrified four-cylinder producing 600 horsepower. It is possible to see a X8 M45e plug in hybrid, or even an electrified M5 with four-digit horsepower.
Some of the company’s older engines are being retired while electrified powertrains will be available. The complicated quad-turbodiesel six cylinder set will be withdrawn along with the HTML5 M50d, and X7 Final Edition models. They are also going to be leaving behind the tiny 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and V12 powerhouse.