Woman Dies After a BMW 8 Series Prototype Crashes at High Speed

TopSpeed

By Robert Moore

Published Jun 11, 2018

Probably not a good day over at BMW HQ

A test driver from BMW took his girlfriend’s mother for a spin in a BMW 8 Series prototype, but things took a turn for the worst when he lost control and hit several trees, causing severe damage to the car and fatal injuries to the passenger. The crash happened around 10pm Sunday night and is still under investigation, but the cause of the accident is said to be “significantly excessive speed.”

2019 BMW 8 Series M850i Fatal Accident

There’s very little information available about the crash so far, but it appears to be an M850i, which will be the highest trim level outside of an all-out M8. Reports thus far indicate that the vehicle was traveling at “significantly excessive speed” and that the prototype struck at least three trees after leaving the road, causing severe damage to the roof. The 37-year-old driver was reportedly able to free himself after the crash. His 53-year-old passenger, which happened to be the mother of his girlfriend, wasn’t so fortunate as is said to have sustained multiple severe head injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to German site BR.de and the video shown above, the roof had to be cut off with hydraulic scissors (AKA the jaws of life), and the airbags did deploy as they were supposed to. The exact amount of damage is still unclear, but the local prosecutor’s office has taken custody of the wrecked 8 Series to complete a full investigation. This comes as quite the blow to BMW as the production version of the 8 Series is scheduled to debut later this week at the 86th 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The prototype that was crash, and is believed to be an M850i xDrive, is said to feature a completely redeveloped V-8 that’s good for some 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. The xDrive system is rear-biased which could have had a hand in the crash as the driver shot off the road after attempting to take a right curve at high speed. Reports suggest that the prototype is capable of hitting 62.1 mph in less than four seconds.

This is an uncomfortable tragedy for all involved, and our hearts go out to the family of the deceased.