BMW revived the 8 Series nameplate by introducing the M8 GTE racecar (a first by BMW, as the brand usually introduces the production version first), which replaced the M6 GTLM at the end of the 2017 season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, leading to speculation about a production equivalent to the racing car.

[12] The car was finally introduced online on 4 June 2019 in the high performance "Competition" variation in coupé and convertible bodystyles.

The all-wheel-drive system (called xDrive) has the ability to decouple its front axle to make the car purely rear-wheel-drive, a feature first introduced on the M5.

These include a sport steering wheel, carbon fibre parts, side skirts, M rims and a bigger spoiler.

[29] The car made its competitive debut at the 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship[30] and the FIA WEC for the 2018 season marking BMW's return to Le Mans after 6 years.