This is it. The all-new BMW 8 Series coupe. It has just made its public debut at the Le Mans motor racing event in France, before it goes on sale in November.
Inspired by the original 8 Series of the 1980s and ‘90s, the new model is pitched as BMW’s flagship grand touring coupe. It’ll be available in 840d xDrive and M850i xDrive form from launch, with a performance M8 version coming further down the track.
In terms of the design, this a stunning production-ready interpretation of the 8 Series concept car revealed last year. At the front you’ll see BMW’s latest kidney grille layout with thin and wide headlights, leading to a long, elegant bonnet. Around at the back is a neatly proportioned rear bumper with very wide taillights and huge twin exhaust outlets, at least in the case of the M850i.
Inside, it’s a beautiful 2+2 seat layout with extensive attention to detail and luxury. There’s newly developed sports seats in the front covered in Vernasca leather trim, with low-set dual rear seats with 50:50 split-fold capability. Folding the rear seats down opens up the 420L boot for more space.
Kicking off the range, the 840d comes with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel inline six-cylinder engine producing 235kW and 680Nm. Thanks to all-wheel drive and a swift-shifting eight-speed automatic, 0-100km/h comes up in a claimed 4.9 seconds. This is seriously impressive for a diesel.
If it’s performance you want though, the M850i is sure to fit the bill. It comes with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that develops 390kW and 750Nm. Acceleration across 0-100km/h takes a claimed 3.7 seconds, which almost places it in supercar territory. The M8 version is set to be even quicker, although it’s unknown if the M8 will adopt xDrive all-wheel drive like these initial two models.
Standing at 4843mm long, 1902mm wide and 1341mm tall, the 8 Series is a rather large coupe. As such, it weighs in at 1890kg (DIN) in M850i spec, and 1830kg in 840d trim. Despite its weight, average fuel consumption is rated at a respectable 10.0-10.5L/100km for the M850i, and 5.9-6.2L/100km for the 840d, depending on the tyre choice.
BMW Australia is yet to confirm any local details, but the new model is scheduled to hit showrooms from November in Europe.
