Gran Turismo 7 keeps getting better with every free update from developer Polyphony Digital. The June release brings no fewer than five vehicles, one of which is of particular interest to BMW fans. The M Hybrid V8 is coming to the long-running title, but with a twist. Rather than featuring the facelifted model introduced for the 2026 season, it’s the original version of the electrified endurance race car.
Nevertheless, it’s great to see BMW M Motorsport’s flagship model confirmed for such a popular racing video game. However, Gran Turismo 7 is not the first game to let players drive the hybrid V8 machine. The car has been available in Le Mans Ultimate since June 2024. Sadly, it’s not one of the models you can drive in Forza Horizon 6, but hopefully it’ll arrive in a later update.
Meanwhile, Gran Turismo 7 welcomes three other endurance cars with the June update. The BMW M Hybrid V8 will be joined by the Porsche 963, Peugeot 9X8, and Ferrari 499P. The final car confirmed for next month’s release is a 992-generation Porsche 911 Turbo S Safety Car.
BMW Is Not Selling The M Hybrid V8
Video games are the only way you can drive the M Hybrid V8. Even with an unlimited budget, BMW won’t sell you one. A factory-backed program since its launch in 2023, the eight-cylinder monster is reserved strictly for professional racing. The company’s motorsport division says it’s considering selling the car to customer teams, but no decision has been made yet.
Should the M Hybrid V8 ever receive a sticker price, it would certainly cost an arm and a leg. The M4 GT3 EVO already starts at €578,000, and we imagine the range-topping race car would cost significantly more given the complexity of its drivetrain. While the M4 GT3 EVO is based on the road-going M4 G82 Coupe, the M Hybrid V8 is a bespoke race car with no road-legal counterpart, all the more reason to expect a lofty asking price should BMW ever allow private teams to buy one.
For the rest of us, the M Hybrid V8 is about to hit your PlayStation this June, complete with the mighty grille of the pre-facelifted version. For 2026, the endurance racer adopts smaller kidneys and redesigned headlights with yellow accents for a look we’ll also see next year on the electric M3 (ZA0).
Video: GRAN TURISMO TV / YouTube
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
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