You are looking at astonishing rendering work by Rain Prisk Design who managed to conceive the BMW 8 Series as a mid-engine supercar. Not only did he think of rebuilding the new 8 Series as a mid-engine machine, but he did the same with the original car from the Nineties. As we are all in neverending anticipation of official BMW announcement for the development of their mid-engine supercar (a proper one), we have to satisfy our greedy supercar needs with these astonishing renderings. Rain Prisk, kudos to you.

Rain Prisk Turned The BMW 8 Series Into A Mid-Engined Supercar

Before I start with Rain Prisk's designs, I have to say that it is strange that BMW still hasn't created a true mid-engine supercar. To give you an idea what kind of company BMW is, get this:

Year: 2004

Setting: BMW headquarters office in Munich.

Someone (with a deep, resolute voice): Install Fau-zehn in a sedan!

Everybody: Ya! Sir, that's an excellent idea.

The M5 V-10 E60 is born.

Fast-forward five years.

Year: 2009

Setting: BMW headquarters office in Munich.

Someone (while blending a smoothie): I just had an idea, and I hope no one will be offended by it! If you are OK with it, I would like to propose the integration of the drei-zylinder gasoline engine in a supercar!

Everybody: Thank you very much for all the consideration you have for us, we agree with you, and think that a supercar with a three-cylinder engine is a great idea. We are very excited.

The i8 is born.

What the hell went wrong with the BMW? Something did, but the newest BMW 8 series took the things in the right direction I think.

As I am a tiny bit like Rian Prisk, I fantasize about the BMW 8 series in a mid-engine form.

Finally, what we have here is an impossibility made real in the digital world. Rain Prisk based its creation on the new 8 Series G15. Unlike that gorgeous car, Rain Prisk did the job right and considerably shortened the hood, sloped the windshield, leaned the rear end forward, moved the cockpit forward, and lowered the whole car. Plus, if you focus on the sides of the car, it is easy to notice the cleverly cut doors and buffed up waistlines. It goes to show that this proposed 8 Series mid-engined monster could have wider fenders and huge tires. As it is lower, with the engine in the middle, I imagine it as seriously planted supercar with insane amounts of grip.

I feel that the redesign on the old 8 Series (E31) was not as successful. I just don't have a vibe of a mid-engine car while looking at it. The redesigned rear side window is a reasonable idea, but the execution lacks finesse. The integration of the air intake for the engine in the back does not have a proper vibe to it. Plus, the front end is just too long. Honestly, I've seen better from Rain Prisk. And, most surprisingly, I have seen better mid-engine BMW designs from BMW and ItalDesign themselves.

BMW Flirts With a Mid-Engine Idea For Decades And This Is Why Rain Prisk Proposition Actually Makes Some Sense

In 1991, just after the original 8 Series wowed the world with its... V-12 perfection..., ItalDesign and BMW sat down to hammer out a mid-engine supercar. It was a prototype for what should have been a BMW mid-engine supercar. Built entirely from carbon fiber (including the space frame), the Nazca C2 had a BMW 850i, V-12 engine sitting in the middle. The engine developed 300+ horsepower and could power the masterful Nazca C2 to more than 186 mph.

BMW and ItalDesign produced three and sold them to some rich people. Nowadays, this car is called the ItalDesign Nazca C2, and I believe it is the only car in the world allowed to carry a BMW kidney grille while having an entirely different name.

This only goes to show that the 8 Series had been linked with the mid-engine supercar idea before. While the Nazca C2 was a fantastic design exercise, the V-12 from the 850 CSI did even greater things. It ended up powering the best car in the world - the McLaren F1. There, it was in the middle, behind the driver, and it developed 621 horsepower making the F1 the fastest car in the world.

Another famous link between the mid-engine supercar layout and the name BMW came from 1972 when BMW introduced the Turbo. Lately, we have seen its reimagination in the shape of the design exercise from 2008 called the M1 Hommage.

I wrote all of this after I learned that Klaus Frolich, a man behind the Product Development at BMW said:

“(A) Supercar is my personal wish … I think there is a next window of opportunity whenever we have the life cycle for i8,” said Frolich at the 2018 Paris motor show. “I’m working very hard to make it happen.”

Conclusion

If Frolich has his way, soon, we may be looking at a mid-engine BMW based on a beautiful i8 chassis, but powered by something extreme. I can even get behind the hybrid if made right.

Imagine the mid-engine BMW supercar powered by a turbocharged inline-six from, say, the upcoming M3, and assisted by 300 horsepower electric motor (or motors). Rain Prisk, write to BMW, stat. Your design could be onto something.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW 8 Series.

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW 8 Series Convertible.

Read our full review on the original 1998-1999 BMW 8 Series.

Read our full review on the BMW 8 Series Concept Coupe.

Read our full review on the 1978 - 1981 BMW M1.