A few months after the world’s media got
its first taste of the BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe in Portugal last September, the
car has been launched in Australia and a large gallery of the car on public
roads has been shared by the automaker.
In Australia, those in the market for an
8-Series Gran Coupe will have a number of variants to choose from. These will
include the 840i Grand Coupe and M850i xDrive Gran Coupe. The range-topping BMW
M8 Gran Coupe will also be sold locally. Variants pictured in this gallery are
the 840i Gran Coupe and M850i xDrive Gran Coupe.
Driving the entry-level 840i is a
twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine that’s good for 335 hp between
5,000 – 6,000 rpm and 500 Nm of torque between 1,600 – 4,500 rpm.
The 840i is the only 8-Series Gran Coupe model sold with rear-wheel drive as
all others feature all-wheel drive systems.
BMW claims the 840i Gran Coupe can hit 100
km/h in a respectable 5.2 seconds and 4.9 seconds if the optional
xDrive system is fitted. The car’s top speed sits at an electronically limited 250 km/h.
By comparison, the BMW M850i xDrive Gran
Coupe uses a 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 developing a whopping 523 hp and 750 Nm of torque. It’ll hit 100 km/h in a mere 3.9 seconds as
well as a 250 km/h top speed. Australian pricing for the 840i Gran
Coupe starts at AUD 199,900 (US$ 130,042) plus on-road costs while the M850i
xDrive Gran Coupe kicks off from AUD 272,900 (US$ 177,532).
