BMW is still putting the final touches on the
8-Series, taking near-production prototypes pretty much everywhere for testing.
Our dear reader Reynold spotted this test car parked at a gas station in
Heidelberg, Western Cape in South Africa.
The prototype looks exactly like the one in BMW’s
official set of images released at the end of last month. The only difference
is that instead of orange, this one is painted black underneath the camouflage
wrap.
Given that the actual car has already been leaked in
its full production guise, the time for the all-new BMW 8-Series official
reveal is near, probably at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show or even sooner. BMW
has also teased a new concept for the same show, which allegedly is the M8 Concept.
The new BMW 8-Series will mark the return of the
brand into the big luxury league and will be positioned against models like the
S-Class Coupe and the Bentley Continental GT. The new BMW will share its
underpinnings with the existing 7-Series, as well as most of the powertrains
and advanced technologies, including the semi-autonomous systems.
The upcoming M8 will likely borrow the powertrain
from the current M5, meaning a biturbo 4.4-liter V8 with over 600 hp strapped to
a configurable all-wheel drive system. The interior design of the new 8-Series
will be fresh and bespoke to the new flagship model and most likely debut new
features, along with high-res digital displays, expensive new materials and
trims.
