600-HP BMW i8 M Could Be the Hybrid Sports Car We Always Wanted

From Car and Driver

• The next-generation BMW i8 hybrid sports car will place a greater emphasis on performance.

• It will use a powerful plug-in-hybrid powertrain with up to 600 horsepower.

• Expect this new BMW sports car to arrive in 2023 with a starting price around $160,000.

This story originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Car and Driver as part of our 25 Cars Worth Waiting For package. Our sneak preview of the most exciting cars coming in the next few years draws on knowledge from leaked product-development plans, spy photos, and loose-lipped insiders mixed in with information that has already been officially released. The reporting for this story was completed in February and early March, before the auto industry began feeling major effects of the coronavirus pandemic. As many automakers are now delaying or pausing development programs, the debut and on-sale dates reported here may change.

BMW is working on a follow-up to the plug-in-hybrid i8 halo car, which in and of itself never really lived up to expectations. Previewed by the 2019 BMW Vision M Next concept car, this yet-to-be-named replacement (we've taken to calling it the i8 M) should place greater emphasis on performance than its predecessor did. It could also set the Bimmer world on fire with its retro M1-inspired style—it could have rear louvers, people!