What's the news?
The BMW 8 Series is back! Ok, it's not quite here yet, but BMW has confirmed that a new 8 Series Coupe will go into production in 2018 and that it will look a lot like the 'Concept 8 Series' revealed this week at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy. What's more, there's a lot of bullish talk about the dynamics of the new 8 Series, suggesting that it could be a lot more than just a two-door coupe version of the BMW 7 Series Saloon.
Exterior
Best let Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, take over for this part: "The design of the BMW Concept 8 Series provides a fresh interpretation of iconic BMW styling cues. And it also showcases a new approach to the use of forms which is reflected particularly prominently in the car's surfacing. A handful of crisp lines mark out clear surfaces, and the car's volumes are powerfully sculpted. Together, these elements make a forceful statement and create a model brimming with character." Or, in short: "it's bloody gorgeous."
The unique paint finish is called Barcelona Grey Liquid and those stunning alloy wheels measure 21 inches in diameter. A glance at the front end of the concept might make you wonder if we're looking at a preview of a new BMW M8 such is its aggressiveness. Huge air intakes are joined by a piece of carbon fibre, while the traditional BMW kidney grille has been aggressively reimagined and the two sides of it meet in the middle. Either side of that are super-slim laser headlights with just enough of a hint of the company's twin circle theme.
In contrast to the detailed front end, the side of the Concept 8 Series is incredibly unfussy, and characterised by extravagant, but well-integrated curves, muscular wings front and rear and a deep scallop in the bodywork that extends from the large air breather behind the front wheel, through the long door and into the rear wing. BMW's Hofmeister Kink is present and correct in the metallic side glass surround, but it's far sleeker than most interpretations of this design feature.
BMW's designers ramped up the drama for the rear of the concept, with three-dimensional lights that protrude from the body and emphasise the car's width. Below them are large trapezoidal exhaust outlets and a carbon fibre diffuser.
Interior
The cabin of the BMW Concept 8 Series is perhaps further away from the production model than the exterior is. There's a distinct mix of extreme sportiness and luxury on display, with sporty elements such as carbon fibre backed sports seats and red-anodised aluminium paddle shifts contrasted by sumptuous Dark Brown and Fjord White Merino leather. And then there's a smoky-looking iDrive controller made from Swarovski glass...
Mechanicals
BMW has released precisely zero technical information on the Concept 8 Series, so we can only guess what the showroom model will be powered by. The powertrains from the 7 Series are a likely starting place, and though there well might be high-powered diesel variants called 840d and 850d, we expect most models to be petrol powered, badged 840i, 850i and 860i and using BMW's turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six and twin-turbocharged V8s. It's highly probable that the M760Li's V12 will also make its way into the 8 Series and that all engines will be paired with the company's excellent eight-speed automatic transmission. Perhaps there'll be a hybrid version too, called the 840e iPerformance, using the 740e iPerformance's components. There is one mention of rear-wheel drive in the press release, though it's expected that xDrive four-wheel drive will be offered and you'd have to guess that, if there is a new M8, it will feature the superb M xDrive system from the 2018 BMW M5.
Anything else?
A word from Harald Kruger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG: "The number 8 has always represented the pinnacle of sports performance and exclusivity at BMW. The forthcoming BMW 8 Series Coupe will demonstrate that razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury can go hand-in-hand. This will be the next model in the expansion of our luxury-car offering and will raise the benchmark for coupes in the segment."
Although there's no pricing information for the 2018 BMW 8 Series as yet, we expect it to compete head-on with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Bentley Continental GT.