BMW has begun teasing the arrival of the new 8 Series Coupe by releasing images of a close-to-series-production prototype as it undergoes testing in Aprilia, Italy. There’s also a darkened photo of the finished product’s rear, which we’ll get to later.
Previewed by the Concept 8 Series back in May last year, the 8 Series brings back a nameplate that was last used on the original E31 from close to two decades ago. The 8 Series will compete against models like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, Bentley Continental GT and other luxury two-door GT coupes. A cabriolet version is also to be expected later on, based on previous spyshots.
While many have touted the 8 Series to be a coupe version of the 7 Series, it shares more in common with the 6 Series in appearance. As these images imply, the 8 Series looks significantly longer than the current 6 Series, with hints of the Pininfarina Gran Lusso.
The darkened photo serves its purpose well, where we are only able to see a few select cues. These include the rear signature lighting, what appears to be an off-coloured diffuser element and a double bubble roof.
Like the new 5 and 7 Series, the 8 Series will be underpinned by the modular Cluster Architecture (CLAR), which uses lightweight materials such as aluminium, magnesium and carbon-fibre – as is the case of the 7 Series.
Given its association with the 7 Series, the engine line-up should match up as well, with straight-six, V8 and V12 turbocharged mills in either petrol or diesel forms being made available. A high-performance M8 model has already been confirmed for production, while an iPerformance plug-in hybrid should be another likelihood.
Aside from the road-going models, BMW will also introduce an 8 Series race car in the form of the M8 GTE. The M8 GTE will make its racing debut at the Daytona 24-hour race later this month, and the know-how gained will be used to further develop the M8.
GALLERY: BMW Concept 8 Series
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- BMW Concept 8 Series
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- BMW Concept 8 Series
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- BMW Concept 8 Series
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- BMW Concept 8 Series
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- BMW Concept 8 Series
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- BMW Concept 8 Series
GALLERY: BMW 8 Series prototypes spyshots
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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- Spy-Shots of Cars This image has been optimized for a calibrated screen with a Gamma of 2.2 and a colour temperature of 6500°K
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ooooooo……. this is one sexy baby…….
COming soon even more sexy. 8 series Grand coupe…….
Ah,,,, that orgasmic.
There are some fully revealed shots of the car floating on the net and it looks awesome because it’s a brand new BMW design language. Not the same old design we got used to with the run of the mill models.
Pls bring the V12 coupe back.