What do we think of the big kidneys on BMW’s M Hybrid V8 prototype racer?

This is our first look at the newly-named BMW M Hybrid V8 – the Dallara-based LMDh prototype racer that BMW is developing for use in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Now, we may as well treat the M Hybrid V8 as we would any other BMW, which these days means we will kick off with some grille chat. BMW M boss Franciscus van Meel set his design team the task of making the prototype “clearly recognisable as a BMW M Motorsport car”, which of course translates to something like ‘stick some massive kidneys on it or you’re fired’. They work quite well here though, no? In fact, the whole thing looks absolutely mega to our eyes.

There are plenty of M car signatures worked in there including a Hofmeister kink window graphic, tributes to the classic M ‘hook’ wing mirrors and the 50th anniversary M logo front and centre. 

The livery you see here will just be for testing ahead of the car’s debut in 2023, but it’s a brilliant camo that mashes up pictures of old M cars to disguise some of the aero trickery on the M Hybrid V8. Worth noting that we now know what powers BMW’s return to prototype racing too – you’ll be surprised to hear that there’s a V8 engine connected to a hybrid system. More as we have it.

Only thing that’s left is for all of us to convince BMW to bring this thing to Le Mans – the new Hypercar rules do allow for LMDh cars after all…

TEXT Greg Potts