The new BMW 8 Series Coupé is the start of a new chapter in BMW’s long and illustrious history of making iconic and sensational sports cars. With outstanding performance, emotion-stirring design, state-of-the-art luxury and advanced equipment technology, the BMW 8 Series is one of the most exciting new models to emerge in recent years. The car will be launched in November 2018.

The primary development objective for the BMW 8 Series Coupé was thrilling driving dynamics. The body, powertrain and suspension of the 8 Series Coupé were honed to achieve the highest levels of agility, precision and poise expected of a top-class sports car. Then remarkably powerful engines were combined with the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system and BMW EfficientLightweight design measures to assure it could meet the highest level of expectations.

Exterior Design

The new 8 series Coupé provides a clear link to the BMW Concept 8 Series first unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2017. It exhibits styling that focuses on clarity, modernity and emotional engagement; its low-slung design has an elongated silhouette with an elegant roofline.

Optimised Aerodynamics

An almost fully sealed underbody, active air flap control with adjustable kidney grille slats and Air Curtains help to reduce aerodynamic drag. Narrow exterior mirror bases are mounted directly on the side window weather strips to further enhance the airflow. On the BMW M850i xDrive Coupé, an additional front spoiler further minimises lift at the front axle at high speeds.

Interior Styling

Luxurious materials with stylish contrast stitching and decorative elements enhance the sporty interior, inspired with a high-quality appearance. The seamless transition between the instrument panel and door trim is made smoother by the coordinated surface textures and a careful choice of materials. The car’s wide centre console, which rises up towards the instrument panel, separates the driver and front passenger. All control elements are clearly arranged for easy access by the driver.

The new multifunctional sports seats in Extended Merino leather upholstery offer high levels of long-distance comfort and excellent lateral support during rapid cornering. The headrests are integrated into the backrests and can be adjusted as required both for height and fore/aft positioning. The seat position is adjusted electrically, while a memory function for both driver and front passenger are standard.

The rear seats can be folded down either individually or together in order to further increase the load capacity of the 420-litre luggage compartment. The folding mechanism is released by means of levers inside the luggage compartment. Automatic boot lid operation is also a standard feature, while the standard Comfort Access furthermore permits hands-free opening and closing of the boot lid.

Power and Efficiency

Heading the model range is the BMW M850i xDrive Coupé which is powered by a newly developed 390 kW/530 horsepower V8 petrol engine with maximum torque raised by 100Nm to 750Nm, which is available over a wide rev range.

The new 840d xDrive Coupé produces a mix of pulling power and excellent fuel economy. The 3.0-litre six-cylinder in-line diesel with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology delivers a maximum output of 320 horsepower and peak torque of 680Nm.The engine employs multi-stage turbocharging technology and its performance characteristics permit relaxed cruising at low engine speeds, while also enabling the car to sprint to 100 kph from rest in only 4.9 seconds.

Both engines use an improved version of the eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, with shift paddles on the steering wheel for manual gear selection, while the transmission features a Launch Control function for accelerating from a standing start with maximum power and traction.

All Wheel Drive as Standard

The BMW xDrive intelligent AWD system operates more efficiently than ever before. With its rapid, precise and fully variable distribution of torque between the front and rear wheels of the luxury coupe, it maximises traction and handling stability not just when driving in adverse road conditions, but in dynamic driving situations as well.

Safety and Security

The driver assistance systems process camera images as well as data gathered by ultrasonic and radar sensors to monitor the vehicle’s surroundings, to warn of potential hazards and to minimise the risk of an accident with corrective braking or steering inputs. These integral features of the BMW Personal Co-Pilot represent the latest advances on the road to automated driving.

The new 8 Series Coupé is equipped as standard with Cruise Control with braking function as well as Collision and Pedestrian Warning with City Braking, the latest version of which also alerts the driver when a cyclist is detected. Depending on the situation, the system can bring the vehicle to a halt to either avoid a collision or minimise its consequences.

Active Park Distance Control (PDC) with sensors at the front and rear is standard and provides visual and acoustic warnings to avoid colliding with obstacles. The optional Parking Assistant is able to automatically select suitable parallel parking spaces and manoeuvre into them. Once activated, the system takes care of the accelerator, brakes and steering as well as changing gear.

Connectivity

The 8 Series Coupé comes as standard with the BMW Live Cockpit Professional, which combines a new display and control concept and maximum connectivity into a superb all-round package, which consists of a high-resolution instrument cluster behind the steering wheel with a screen diagonal of 12.3 inches and a 10.25-inch Control Display. Further components of the BMW Live Cockpit Professional include an adaptive nav system, a hard-drive-based multimedia system with 20GB, two USB ports, plus Bluetooth® and WiFi interfaces.

There’s far too little space here to cover all the features of the new 8 Series, details like BMW Mobility, optional LaserLight technology, and optional carbon-fibre-reinforced roof as well as its motorsports successes in Europe and North America. Instead steer yourself to Kearys BMW Cork and experience the all-new BMW 8-Series for yourself.