The current-generation BMW 8 Series will have more
members than ever – and we’re not talking about engine variants only, but about
bodystyles too. Besides the already-unveiled coupe (G14) and convertible (G15) models,
the 8 Series will also spawn a Gran Coupe body style (G16). To top it all off,
the 8 Series Coupe and 8 Series Gran Coupe will also be available with the
range-topping M8 treatment.
Whereas in previous sightings the car was almost
completely camouflaged, it has now shed the disguise from the A-pillars all the
way to the nose. The spy photos here show both the base and the
higher-performance M850i xDrive, with the latter spotted during cold weather
testing in Scandinavia.
In fairness, we didn’t expect the 8 Series Gran
Coupe would feature a different snout than its two-door siblings and the photos
prove we weren’t wrong. The headlights and kidney grille are identical but the
bumper does feature a different design with a much longer lower grille.
The rest of the car remains camouflaged but the
contours of the bodywork are visible. The muscular rear haunches and the
sculpted trunk lid are the most obvious. As for the interior, expect it to
offer more passenger space thanks to the added cabin length and hopefully more
headroom than the two-door coupe.
Targeting the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes-AMG GT
4-Door, among other models, the 2020 BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe will share the
same powertrains with the rest of the lineup. Expect it to launch in M850i
xDrive and 840d xDrive guises with a 523 hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and
315 hp 3.0-liter turbo diesel straight-six, respectively.
Also, the top-dog M8 will arrive with an uprated
twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine making more than 592 hp, hooked to an
eight-speed automatic transmission and the M xDrive AWD system with a 2WD mode.
The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe will debut sometime next year as a 2020 model.
Cr. Carscoops
