The BMW i8 has spaceship looks, but the presence of a hybrid powertrain has always rubbed a few people, who’d much prefer to see the supercar looks with a more traditional supercar powertrain like, say, a V8, the wrong way.
Well, here’s a V8-powered i8; it is dubbed the i8 GTR, was built by Hamofa Motor Sport last year and ditches the road car’s hybrid powertrain in favor of a race-prepped, naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter V8 with 540 HP. This engine was formerly used by Z4 GTE and GT3 race cars, so it is right at home at a circuit.
Also Read: BMW i8 Successor May Be Dubbed i12, Sport 671 HP Hybrid Powertrain
Now, it’s worth pointing out that, while the racer certainly looks like an i8, it really is not. That’s because under the skin it utilizes a bespoke tube-frame chassis developed by French firm Solution F. Which comes as no big surprise as true racers don’t really have much in common with their road-legal lookalikes other than, well, the looks because… marketing.
Anyhow, this “i8” weighs a mere 2,425 lbs (1,100 kg). Factor in its power figure, and what you end up with is a very fast car. More importantly, though, the high-revving V8 engine sounds absolutely glorious, as befits a true supercar.
If only BMW wasn’t so stubbornly shying away from this niche, insisting that the M8 is more than good enough to be its headliner…