BMW News

    It's rumored to have up to 670 horsepower, thanks to an upgraded version of the M5's direct-injected 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. It could go 0-60 in about 3 seconds, and be made from carbon fiber and titanium -- which could give it the best power-to-weight ratio of any BMW street car. In short, it would be the first supercar from Munich since 1981.


    According to an analysis by the Boxden website, the platform of the M8 would be BMW's i8 eco sports car. With the same lightweight materia, the M8 could achieve the 2,760-pound target weight and have a top speed around 200 mph. However, unlike the i8, the M8 would probably be powered purely by gas. Most importantly, as Aussie website carsales.com.au said: "The M8 would add much-needed fire to a brand slightly sagging under the weight of luxury demands. A tire-shredding, carbon-fiber, sleekly styled Ferrari basher with 0-60 times in the low-three-second bracket and a 200 mph-plus top speed is just what M car dreams are made of."

    If the M8 makes it to production, it's likely that it'll be extremely limited. Further, Car and Driver estimates that the M8 will be priced around $330,000, although other estimates place the price closer to $500,000. Consequently, it's unlikely that the M8 will have a significant impact on BMW's bottom line. But that's not really the point of a supercar: The M8 is more about bragging rights. And if the production car is like the concept, the M8 could have those rights in spades. Clearly, that'd be great news for BMW's brand image -- and good news for BMW's investors.

    Still, even if the M8 never becomes reality, BMW has a lot going for it. In October, BMW reported that for the first 10 months of 2013, BMW had record sales. Global demand was also continuing to trend positively. Further, according to The Wall Street Journal, BMW sales in China have grown 20 percent -- that's in comparison with the expected 10 percent growth. Considering China is one of the fastest-growing luxury markets, this is especially good news.

    The M8 could lay claim to be BMW's "ultimate driving machine," and could make a solid addition to your investing portfolio, apart from the aforementiioned bragging rights. Time to trade in your 2014 i8, perhaps?—Paul Duchene