The all-new BMW 8 Series is perhaps one of the
best-looking models to roll out of Munich in recent years, sporting a sleek
exterior design that’s rightfully complemented by a classy, polished cabin.
While we know a cabriolet is on the cards, prototypes of the 8 Series Gran
Coupe have been elusive thus far.
The closest thing to the actual 8GC we’ve seen is
the official concept previewed earlier in March, but this set of rendering,
courtesy of Theophilus Chin, shows us what the flagship four-door sports coupe
potentially look like. Before you start squinting, the only thing different
here is the additional rear doors and the less steeply raked rear glasshouse.
Of course, designing this four-door variant poses
some challenges, especially if it were to retain the coupe’s dramatic low-slung
appeal. Like the 6 Series Gran Coupe, the front doors will have to be
shortened, as seen in the pictures here. Other than cramming the small rear
doors in this digital rendering, everything else is as per the coupe, including
the substantially emotive haunch that puts emphasis on masculinity.
To recap, the new 8 Series is based on BMW’s modular
Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform which features a mix of steel, aluminium,
magnesium and carbon-fibre construction. It’s currently available with the
M850i xDrive (all-wheel drive) that’s powered by an upgraded version of the
M550i‘s 4.4 litre biturbo petrol V8, pushing out 530 hp and a whopping 750 Nm.
Paired with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic, the century sprint is
done in just 3.7 seconds.
The other offering is the 840d xDrive diesel, which
gets a 3.0 litre twin-turbocharged straight-six making 320 hp and 680 Nm. It
shares the same eight-speed auto and sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.
The range-topping M8 will be available at a later date.
Inside is an all-new cabin that befits this flagship
sports coupe, featuring a full leather dashboard and sports seats as standard
(multifunction seats with increased adjustment and support optional). Other new
features include the latest BMW Operating System 7.0 for the iDrive system, the
redesigned BMW Live Cockpit Professional instrument display, a larger head-up
display, a smartphone-enabled Digital Key and the over-the-air Remote Software Upgrade
function.
Cr : Paultan
