No surprises here.
Munich automaker BMW were certainly not holding back when they relaunched the 8-Series badge in June of last year, with the debutant coupé followed very quickly by the more dramatic cabriolet. While full-fat M8 models are still in development, the time has come to release the third bodystyle for the 8 family, and it comes in the form of the GranCoupe.
We’d be lying if we said we were at all surprised by this as, with the axing of the 4-strong 6-Series family (which included a GranTurismo model that soldiers on alone), we knew that BMW would aim to replace each model lost with a new matching 8er. If anything we’re surprised that it’s taken them this long to bring it round, as there’s little doubt in our mind that the development of the 8-GranCoupe had to have been on the cards from the get-go, with R&D in parallel to the coupé and cabriolet models.
*2018 BMW Concept M8 GranCoupe, which is about 90% what we can expect to see.
With the 8GC, we can expect to find the usual mixture of long-wheelbase and familiar mechanicals. We’ll eat our shoes if the GranCoupe doesn’t launch as an 840d and M850i, with a 3.0-litre inline-6 oiler in the former with 235kW/680Nm and a 4.4-litre V8 biturbo petrol in the latter with 390kW/780Nm. Both cars should run an xDrive all-wheel drive setup, and return as little as 6.2L/100km for the oiler and 10L/100km for the petrol.
BMW’s confirmed that the 8-Series GranCoupe will be revealed at the BMW #NextGen event in Munich, followed by a global launch at the upcoming Frankfurt motorshow in September. On arrival, it’ll have to duke it out with cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7 Sportback, and Porsche Panamera, but BMW reckons that its fuse of “breathtaking performance and emotion-stirring design” will set it apart.
They reckon.
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