BMW reveals details of M850i Coupe ahead of Le Mans debut

-    The all-new BMW 8 Series Coupe is in its final stages of development 

-    The flagship M850i xDrive will have a 522bhp 4.4-litre V8.

-    The 8 Series will go on sale later this year after an official debut at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

BMW has revealed additional details of the upcoming flagship coupe, the 8 Series. The resurrected moniker will be powered by a 4.4-litre V8 producing 522bhp in the top-spec M850i trim. This is one spec lower than the fully-blown M8 which will follow later. 

The M850i will have the xDrive all-wheel-drive system as standard along with active rear axle differential lock, the adaptive M suspension with active roll stabilisation and Integral Active Steering. The grand tourer will come with electronic dampers with stability control in two driving modes – Sport and Sport+. The V8 is pumped up by 68bhp in power and 100Nm. The torque figures now read 750Nm which will be accessible to the right foot from as low as 1800rpm. Transmission duties will be handled by the same eight-speed Steptronic unit offered elsewhere in the BMW family. 

BMW says that the 8 Series is in its final stages of development with the last test drives being wrapped up in Wales. The Bavarian carmaker claims to have rested the coupe during winter drives in Arjeplog in Sweden, on the BMW Group’s proving grounds in Miramas in the South of France, and at the testing centre on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. 

The 8 Series will go on sale in late 2018. The 8 designation of the Coupe will become the flagship vehicle in BMW’s line-up just like the Z8 before or the current i8. The 8 Coupe will spearhead the 8 Series family with a convertible, a Gran Coupe and the M8 series to follow in coming years.