After a 19 year absence from the BMW lineup, the 8 Series is due to return next month, premiering at the historic Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in northern France where, incidentally, a pair of M8 GTEs, based on the 8 Series - will be competing. The race is the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 2018 season.
After the main event, BMW will officially take the wraps off their new flagship grand touring coupe, a car that essentially supersedes the F13 6 Series coupe while taking the marque further upmarket. The new 8 Series not only resurrects the name, but aims to rival the levels of luxury and opulence of cars like Bentleys and Aston Martins.
It’s still a little unclear just how broad of a range BMW will end up revealing next month, but the first to receive the full premiere treatment is undoubtedly the M850i xDrive Coupe, fresh from its pre-production testing stint. It will be powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 390kW and 750Nm mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic.
It’s been a widespread view that the M850i xDrive, despite how good it might turn out to be, is something of a preamble to the upcoming full-on M8. However, confirmation of that version, let alone a firm expectant on sale date, has yet to be set. And the same goes for the 8 Series Gran Coupe, a 5-door, 4-seater lift back that was teased through a recent concept car.
It would be interesting to see if BMW will allow the M division to use the twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 from the M760i luxury sedan. As it stands, the odds are stacked against a M860i xDrive becoming a reality, but it would certainly find competition in the 12-cylinder cars from Bentley and Aston, not to mention the Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe, specifically the AMG S 65.
BMW promises the debutant 8 Series will deliver outstanding poise, refinement, and handling. benefitting from the drive and suspension technology honed from its motor racing efforts. Among others, the car will feature all-wheel drive, locking rear axle differential, active steering, adaptive suspension, active roll stabilisations, and 20-inch light alloy wheels.
“There isn’t be a better setting for the world premiere of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe than the 24-hour race at Le Mans,” says Klaus Fröhlich, board member of the BMW AG, Development. “The race is a pure demonstration of passion, dynamics and long-distance capability. These characteristics define our new sports car in a special way.”
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