We love BMW’s sensible-yet-silly i8 hybrid supercar when we drove it, but it left us wondering how good a modern mid-engine BMW could be if the automaker traded in the focus on earth friendliness for performance. We may have to wonder no longer, though, with the UK’s CAR Magazine reporting a mid-engine V8-powered BMW supercar will arrive in two years’ time.
If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, the all-new supercar will be built with help from British supercar manufacturer McLaren. Considering the result of the last BMW-McLaren partnership was the legendary 240 MPH McLaren F1, there will be high expectations for this coming together of performance powerhouses.
CAR says the BMW supercar would share a McLaren-developed carbon monocoque with the next-generation 650S and would be powered by a new BMW 4.0-liter V8. The engine will be turbocharged, of course, however there will be two exhaust driven turbos as well as two electrically driven units. Total output is said to reside around the 750 horsepower mark, which would eclipse the current McLaren 650S and the Ferrari 488 GTB.
The next-gen 650S and the mystery BMW will sport entirely different exterior designs, with the BMW also using its own instrument panel, infotainment system and connectivity features. It’s also said that production of the BMW will remain low throughout its model lifecycle, with only a three-figure annual production run planned.
CAR says the BMW-McLaren partnership isn’t set in stone, however right now the “odds are very much in favor of a thumbs up.” Let’s hope it comes to fruition, because if it doesn’t, BMW and McLaren fans that got wind of these rumors will be none too happy.
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