NEW 8 SERIES: WHY BMW IS GOING AFTER BENTLEY AND ASTON
Concept previews new 8 Series coupé, on sale next year; hot M8 version to follow
The BMW 8 Series is set to return, and it will sire a spectacular twinturbocharged 4.4-litre V8 powered M8 performance flagship that will form the basis of a factory-backed assault on the GTE class at next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
Previewed by the bold Concept 8 Series design study unveiled at the Villa d’este Concorso d’eleganza on the shores of Lake Como in Italy last week, the luxurious new two-plus-two coupé is planned to return the 8 Series name to the BMW line-up after an near two-decade hiatus. It is part of what BMW’S chairman, Harald Krüger, described as the biggest model offensive in the company’s history.
Concept 8 Series is described by BMW as “a taste of a forthcoming model” and has been created to pave the way for the return of the 8 Series, which is being developed under the internal codename G17. Set to challenge the Mercedes-benz S-class Coupé at the top of BMW’S current 12-model line-up, the reborn 8 Series will indirectly replace the existing thirdgeneration 6 Series.
The latter is due to cease production in coupé and convertible guises after being superseded by a new fourthgeneration liftback model in the form of the upcoming 6 Series GT later this year.
Krüger said: “The 8 Series will be the next model in the expansion of our luxury car offering and will raise the benchmark in the segment. It will demonstrate that razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury cars go hand in hand, in the process strengthening our claim to leadership in the class.”
Alongside the bullish coupé variant of the new model previewed by the Concept 8 Series, BMW also harbours plans for a plush open-top version of its new rangetopping two-door. Set for introduction in 2019, it will eschew the folding hardtop arrangement favoured by BMW for its convertible models in recent years in favour of an automatically opening multilayer fabric hood.
Design as much as engineering has played a key role in the development of the Concept 8 Series, which boasts a traditional two-door layout and classically hinged boot at
The 8 Series will demonstrate that razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury go hand in hand
the rear. It flaunts a bold look that BMW says will heavily influence the appearance of the next-generation models from the German car maker.
BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk described the new coupé as a full-blooded driving machine. “It showcases a new approach to the use of forms, which is reflected particularly prominently in the surfacing,” he said. “Crisp lines mark out clear surfaces, and the volumes are powerfully sculptured.”
While the concept’s dimensions and overall form will be reflected in the production version of the new BMW coupé, van Hooydonk acknowledged various elements and cues will be altered before it enters UK showrooms late next year.
BMW said it has put a lot of time and effort into projecting how the new 8 Series will be viewed on the road. The model’s silhouette features a long bonnet and a flowing roofline with an upward sweep that helps to provide a sporting flourish to the high-set rear. Flared front wheel arches