The list of great BMW V8s is a long one. The E39 M5's engine is apparently bulletproof, with one E39 crossing half a million miles. The BMW M3's S65 V8 was a beautiful if not flawed engine. The BMW M5 CS's turbocharged V8 mill is a powerhouse for the ages, and now, BMW's Le Mans Hypercar contender looks set to continue the trend of killer Bimmer eight-pots.

Recently, the first BMW M Motorsport prototype since BMW's V12 Le Mans racer from 2000 completed its first-ever laps. Now, BMW's World Endurance Championship Hypercar class challenger moves under its own power, and testing can officially begin. We're bummed we can't hear the Hypercar's wild V8, but at least we have lots of pretty pictures.

"The decision to run the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the IMSA series from 2023, and the WEC from 2024, is a milestone for the project," said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. "I am very excited to be challenging for overall victory as BMW M Motorsport again at this classic and in the whole World Endurance Championship for the first time in decades. The BMW M Hybrid V8 represents a turning point towards electrification for BMW M. The IMSA series in North America and the WEC, which takes place all over the world, are the perfect platforms, on which to use our prototype to show how exciting electrified BMW M cars will be in the future," he continued.

That last line gives us some hope that we'll see a more streetable version of the racer's hybridized V8 in a road car one day. Does anyone remember those hybrid M5 Touring rumors? At the very least, BMW certainly has further plans for the hybrid powerplant in motorsports, according to Andrea Roos, head of BMW M Motorsport.

"Due to the very tight schedule for the LMDh project, the plan has always been to focus on one field of application in the first season in 2023. The IMSA series is perfectly suited for this. However, our mid-term goal was obviously to race on two fronts with the BMW M Hybrid V8, and also to use the major platform provided by the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

BMW's first tests for the racer took place at the Dallara test track in Italy, and the car will continue to be tested there throughout this week. More European tests are scheduled for August, shortly before the team and the car head to the US to start IMSA-specific track testing.