Second-Gen BMW 8 Series To Debut On June 15

All-new 8 Series coupe will feature a new V8 engine and benefit from experience gained through motor racing

BMW has confirmed that it will showcase the 8 Series coupe on June 15, a day ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The production-spec coupe comes just a few months after the carmaker showcased the M8 Gran Coupe concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018. The 8 Series coupe concept, on the other hand, made its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy in 2017. Before diving into the details of the upcoming 8 Series, let’s take a quick look at its brief history.

• The first-gen 8 Series debuted as the Munich-based car manufacturer’s flagship at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show

• It was offered as a more powerful and premium replacement to the two-door E24 6 Series, which debuted back in 1976

• The E31 8 Series had a lifespan of 10 years. Production was stopped in 1999

• It was offered with several different engines, including a 5.0-litre V12, a 4.0-litre V8, a 4.4-litre V8, a 5.4-litre V12 and a 5.6-litre V12

• In 1989, it became the first car with a V12 to feature a 6-speed manual transmission

BMW released an image of its new 2018 Le Mans challenger, the M8 GTE, sitting alongside the new 8 Series coupe. From the image, it is quite clear that the new coupe, which returns after a span of 19 years, gets a long and swooping bonnet, large kidney grilles, sleek headlamps and flared wheel arches. The front bumper looks sharp and houses large air dams. BMW has not revealed much about the upcoming 8 Series.

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So far, it has only said that “the drive and suspension technology of the 8 Series benefits tremendously from the experience gained from motor racing (the M8 GTE).” It also confirmed that the M850i XDrive will be powered by a ‘new’ V8 engine and will be equipped with features such as all-wheel drive, controlled rear axle differential lock, active steering, adaptive M suspension technology featuring active roll stabilization and 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels.

When launched, the 8 Series will be the new flagship BMW as it will sit above the 7 Series sedan. It might also mark the end of the 6 Series coupe, whose production will end this year. BMW has already confirmed that a convertible version of the 8 Series will follow the coupe and will replace the 6 Series convertible.

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BMW has not confirmed whether the 8 Series will come to India or not. But if it does, it will go up against the S-Class Cabriolet, which is priced at Rs 2.35 crore (ex-showroom India).

Also Read: Mercedes-Benz S-Class vs BMW 7 Series: Real-World Performance Comparison