Over the course of 2019, BMW managed to sell a grand total of 4,410 units of its 8 Series flagship in the US. That’s a decent figure for a niche and pricey product, but according to Automotive News, BMW dealers are struggling with sales, and it’s turning into an inventory inconvenience for some of them.
The news outlet cites inadequate marketing and too many variants as the main reasons, and there are over 2,000 unsold units of the 8 Series as of March 2020. That includes models on dealer lots and models already on their way to retailers. Of that, more than 700 units have been classified as “Priority 5,” which are vehicles that dealers wish to pass in the hopes that it will be offloaded to another dealer.
Currently, the grand tourer line-up is comprised of the G15 8 Series Coupe, G14 8 Series Convertible, G16 8 Series Gran Coupe, each of which is offered with several engine options, such as the 840i, 840d, M850i, M8, and M8 Competition. And then there’s the problem of personalisation – dealers say the number of configurations, of which there’s a tonne of, is another reason why some models aren’t selling.
The report added that BMW had plans to roll out a marketing campaign for the 8 Series later this year, but those have to be shelved due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s expensive, and also not a high-volume seller like the X7, which further limits its appeal to customers. In contrast, BMW sold over 21,500 units of the large SUV in 2019, a five-fold increase over the 8 Series.
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It is not pretty enuff, an LC500 will turn more heads than an M8
That is until the M8 smokes the LC. Even the base spec 840i is almost a second quicker compared to the LC500 and cheaper by USD4k too.
Wrong.
A car like this. Shouldn’t they be built to order?
No unless you opt for BMW Individual…
A BMW ain’t a Ferrari, they don’t built to order
In my personal opinion, only the 8GC is good looking. Not a fan of the other models. But honestly, I think the reason for slow 8 Series sales, while the X7 sells well, is that Americans just prefer SUVs. BMW sells many variants of SUVs, even more types and more confusing than the 8 Series line. But people seem to buy them.
car too big…^^
If it were 1960s-1970s, maybe can sell.