BMW has officially teased the all-new forthcoming 8 Series. Having only previewed the new 6 Series replacement in the concept guise, and in an early development stage, the new 8 Series drops a lot of camo in the latest set of images. It’s now high time that the Bavarian carmaker takes the wraps off completely since the flagship sports car was already leaked undisguised a few days back.
In the new images, the red-hued Coupe with minimum camouflage strips is seen putting some purposeful laps at the high-speed proving ground in Aprilia, Italy. BMW has also dropped one single undisguised image of the 8 Series’ posterior showcasing the sleek LED tail lights and the scintillating proportions of the Coupe (which we have seen before already thanks to the leaked image). In the video, the sonorous V8 is heard in all its glory.
The production-spec 8 Series Coupe seems to retain most of the design element from the Concept showcased at the 2017 Concorso d'Elegance. The sleek LED headlamps carry the new X-motif signature while the overall proportions are in line with the concept. The characteristic Kidney-grille also adopts a new style. The styling is typical BMW while the massive 21-inch wheels add flair. There are more dramatic additions all around the car such as the air vents at the rear concealed under the camo film. However, the carmaker fails to hide the large pair of integrated exhaust tips.
Based on the scalable CLAR platform as the 7 Series, the new 8 Series will have superior dynamics owing to the lightweight construction. Being the flagship coupe, and based on the opulent 7, the 8 Series will be filled to the brim with all the BMW technologies be it safety, driver’s aid or comfort. Under the hood will be the same 4.4-litre V8 in the 750i xDrive, in the 850i guise. Whereas the regal 6.6-litre V12 will wear the 860i moniker when it arrives sometime later. We expect the entry-level 8 Series as well with inline-four and inline-six engine whereas a hybrid variant is not completely ruled out.
The high-performance M8, on the other hand, will arrive sometime next year. It will use all the technical know-how and racing pedigree from the M8 GTE which is slated to enter the Rolex 24 Daytona on 27/28 January 2017. After it, the GTE will go on to participate in the 24-hour Le Mans and other racing events in the FIA WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar (IWSC) championships.
The all-new 8 Series indirectly replaces the slow-moving 6 Series in the BMW portfolio. Being the flagship coupe, it will lock horns with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, Bentley Continental GT, and the Aston Martin DB11.
