BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe prototype hits the ‘Ring

-    Might break cover at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. 

-    The new 8 Gran Coupe is the four-door version of the 8 Coupe revealed last month.

-   Will get the same powertrain options as the Coupe but with two extra seats at the back.

BMW resurrected the 8 Series moniker with the Coupe last month. However, given how the Bavarian carmaker’s line-up works, there will be a convertible and a four-door variant of the 8 Series before the fully-blown M variants arrive. The four-door version will be called as the Gran Coupe akin to the 6 Series Gran Coupe before it. A production-ready prototype was recently spied being put through its paces at the Nurburgring. 

Appearance wise, it has nothing more over the standard Coupe except to very large rear doors. The overall length of the 8 Series GC appears massive as is evident in the pictures. Considering the 8 Coupe already measures 4,851mm in length, the 8 GC would cross the five-metre mark to accommodate an opulent cabin. This will also add a significant amount of weight and the Gran Coupe could tip the scale over two tonnes. 

The test mule was also wearing the M Sport package. The large sporty wheels, aggressive bumpers both fore and aft and a reduced ride height are the tell-tale signs of the sportier iteration. Powering the 8 Gran Coupe will be the same engine as the standard 8. So under the bulging hood will be a 4.4-litre V8 producing 550bhp and 750Nm. A diesel will also be on offer in the 850d trim with a turbocharged straight-six oil burner. Of course, an M powered variant will follow but that will happen later. Whether BMW plonks the 7 Series' V12 into the 8 Gran Coupe also remains to be seen. 

When it arrives, the 8 Series Gran Coupe will target the aficionados who usually buy the Porsche Panamera as a sporty sedan. It will also have eyes on the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door, Maserati Quattroporte, and S63 AMG. With the production-ready prototype already hitting the German race track, we expect an imminent reveal, probably at the Paris Motor Show later this year.