BMW M8 GTE preview signals brand's return to Le Mans

18 years have passed since BMW entered the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The German automaker showed their interest in joining the series again by fielding this year's medical and safety cars during Le Mans. In a new development, BMW has announced their entry for the next season of WEC.

While they won't be running in the top LMP1 class, BMW will be joining Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford, AF Corse and Porsche in the GTE category. The car chosen to go wheel to wheel with these WEC stalwarts will be the M8 GTE, based on the upcoming 8 Series. Given that BMW has yet to reveal the production version of the car, the brand is busy raising interest for their all-new grand touring coupe.

BMW's racer was previewed on Twitter as a design sketch and we see the outline of the car sporting aerodynamic enhancements. At the front is an aggressive bumper, as well as a larger opening for the air outlet. Also present are three lights on the door, a WEC requirement. The rear of the car meanwhile sports a large rear wing. Once the production 8 Series is revealed, expect BMW to reveal the race car in the metal.

At the moment, there are very little details surrounding the M8 GTE. The engine and the driver lineup is all speculation at this point. It is likely that it will be powered by an highly uprated version of the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8. As for the drivers, BMW stalwarts Andy Prialux and Joey Hand are now driving for Ford, meaning the Bavarian team might tap their DTM drivers to take on Le Mans.