The M8 Coupe was introduced as BMW’s flagship coupe model. Prior to the announcement of the commercial vehicle, the race-specification M8 GTE, which is an FIA endurance racing machine, was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017. The unveiling of the race-spec version before the announcement of the commercially based vehicle garnered attention, which can be considered an exceptional announcement. The announced performance, the equipment of aero parts that seemed to comply with the regulations, and the details of various body parts had enough impact not only to perform as a race machine but also to raise expectations for the commercially available base model. While the commercial model has not been officially announced, the race model M8 GTE made its debut in the 24 Hours of Daytona, an endurance race held at the Daytona International Speedway in the United States in January 2018. The standard BMW 8 Series Coupe was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show held in October of the same year, attracting significant attention. The race version of the M8 Coupe, the M8 GTE, was developed for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the United States and the World Endurance Championship. The engine is a V8 3981cc. Equipped with BMW’s unique TwinPower Turbo technology, it delivers a power of 500 to 600 horsepower.
The body uses CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics) extensively to reduce weight and pursues an aero design to have high performance, harbouring high-performance capabilities. The M8 GTE was entrusted to RLL (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), a talented American racing team, and began competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It made its debut at the 2018 24 Hours of Daytona. Over the subsequent seasons, it gained experience through participation in various races, and in the following year’s Daytona 24 Hours race in 2019, RLL’s M8 GTE achieved an impressive class victory. And then the 2020 season arrived. RLL’s M8 GTE participated as the defending champion in the 24 Hours of Daytona, a traditional endurance race held from January 25th to 26th at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. Despite the disruptions caused by schedule changes due to the spread of the new coronavirus, RLL’s M8 GTE, which participated in each race of the season, also competed in the 6-hour race held at the Road Atlanta circuit from September 4th to 6th. RLL’s M8 GTE, fielded with two cars, secured an 8th place overall finish with car number 25, driven by Connor De Philippi and Bruno Spengler, and a 10th place overall finish with car number 24, driven by John Edwards and Jesse Krohn. Car number 25 also secured a well-deserved class victory, showcasing the high performance of BMW.
