New BMW M8 replacement rendered: flagship coupe may return as an EV
February 20, 2023 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
BMW’s M division is on a roll. In the last year it released the new M2, XM and the 3.0 CSL, but now the brand’s sporting arm is working on an all new flagship. Read on for all you need to know.
- New BMW M8 replacement rendered
- M division flagship may return as an EV
- BMW 7 Series Gran Coupe also rendered
- M8 replacement likely to have quad-motors
- 1,360hp possible
- Could go on sale in 2026
BMW’s M division is working on a secret project which could spawn the most powerful car it’s ever made, and this technology could feature in the replacement for today’s BMW M8 Competition.
Check out the video above to hear Mat talk through this new alternative to the Audi RS7 and Mercedes-AMG S63.
New BMW M8 replacement design
These exclusive renders give you an idea of what a future BMW M8 replacement could look like.
You can see a similar front grille design to the i Vision Dee concept from earlier this year, with the iconic kidney grilles now spanning the width of the car with the headlights integrated into the panel.
The side profile remains similar to the current BMW 8 Series, although this high-performance variant gets some aggressive-looking vents behind the doors and wide skirts lower down.
The rear end gets a similar treatment to the front, with a light bar across the bootlid and some sleek LED tail lights. This M version is also likely to have a large rear diffuser to help with aerodynamics.
New BMW M8 replacement chassis
BMW is working on an all-new electric car platform called the New Class platform, and this is going to underpin all future electric-only models from the brand.
The BMW i Vision Dee concept is based on this new technology, and this mid-sized saloon could replace the 3 Series in 2025. But what does this mean for the new BMW M8 replacement?
Well BMW has hinted that the next generation BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe will be merged with the latest BMW 7 Series to make the 7 Series Gran Coupe (rendered below). The 8 Series might live on in a different way though…
It could be based on the New Class platform, and BMW may simplify its range of coupes by combining the 8 Series and 4 Series in one mid-sized model. This is similar to what Mercedes is doing with the new CLE.
New BMW M8 replacement motors and performance
Chief technical officer for BMW Frank Weber has previously said that BMW M cars based on the New Class platform can handle between 2 and four motors, and these can produce up to 1 Megawatt of power. That’s 1,360hp.
And that’s not just a pie-in-the-sky figure from a computer simulation either, BMW has built a prototype. It looks an awful lot like the BMW i4 M50, but it’s actually designed to test all the systems you need for four motors and over 1,000hp.
That sort of power would be excessive in a new BMW M3 or M4, however it wouldn’t be too over-the-top in a new BMW M8 replacement. After all, the M8 is supposed to be the flagship model.
When will the new BMW M8 replacement go on sale?
You can expect to see models built on the New Class platform appear by 2025, although that’ll be a replacement for the BMW 3 Series based on the i Vision Dee concept.
This new performance model is more likely to appear in 2026, alongside a 7 Series and i7 facelift. It’s not yet known what the M8 replacement will be called either. With this model potentially replacing both the M8 and the M4, it could revive the 6 Series badge. With it also being an electric M car, it could be called the M i6. How very Bond.
As for price, this car is nowhere near production yet so it’s pretty hard to put a number on it. Expect it to cost a fair bit more than the current M8 though, that car costs from £136,000.
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