The silhouette alone was alluring, but now that we’ve seen the full thing, well, the BMW Concept M8 Series Gran Coupe continues to stun. And it’s not just a concept: as we had heard previously, BMW confirms today that production 8 Series and M8 Gran Coupe models will arrive in 2019.
Standard Production Version Officially Revealed:
The concept is, as is in vogue, a four-door coupe, with a sloping roofline that merges seamlessly into the decklid. The long hood and swept-back windshield give sporty proportions, while the deep front fascia and large air intakes hint at the performance of the M8. The gold-colored kidney grille trim is supposed to hint at “exclusivity,” while the hexagonal-shaped running lights recall the M8 GTE racing car. The inlets are made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) to keep weight down.
So, too, is the roof panel made from CFRP, keeping the center of gravity – and overall weight – down in the M8 Gran Coupe. The “Salève Vert” green paint contrasts with various gold accents. And out back, look for generously shaped haunches and BMW M’s characteristic quad exhaust tips (finished in gold). The trunklid is shaped into an aggressive spoiler, while the rear reflectors cut into the fascia and the taillights are ultra-skinny units on a concave surface on the trunk.
“With this car we want to reach people who are looking for something special and who want to stand out from the crowd,” Domagoj Dukec, vice president of Design BMW M, said in a statement. “Here, BMW M is unmistakably taking luxury out of its comfort zone.”
This BMW M8 Gran Coupe show car follows up on the 8 Series coupe concept we’ve already seen both outside and in. Although BMW offers no mechanical details so far, the promise that the Gran Coupe models will arrive by next year signals that we’re getting pretty close to seeing a revival of the vaunted 8 Series badge. The two-door coupe should debut first, likely later this year; BMW says that the four-door 8 Series and M8 Gran Coupe variants will “round off the BMW 8 Series family” when they debut in ‘19. We're also expecting to see an 8 Series convertible, as seen in our spy photos.
“The BMW 8 Series will take over as the new flagship model of the BMW lineup and, as such, combines unsurpassed sportiness and elegance,” Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president for BMW Group Design, said in a statement. “The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe offers a look ahead to the most exotic and alluring variant of the new BMW 8 Series.”
Stay tuned for more details on the final cars. For now, let’s simply hope that much of the evocative styling seen on this show car makes it to the production versions.
Source: BMW
Gallery: BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe.
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe illustrates the meaning behind the letter
“M” at BMW in impressive style: it stands for “more”, more of everything. As
well as dynamic excellence, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe embodies a
new facet of luxury for the BMW brand – ultra-sporty, extrovert and polarising.
“The BMW 8 Series will take over as the new flagship model of the BMW lineup
and, as such, combines unsurpassed sportiness and elegance,” says
Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The BMW
Concept M8 Gran Coupe offers a look ahead to the most exotic and alluring
variant of the new BMW 8 Series.”
Symbol of a unique understanding of luxury.
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is more than simply a luxury sports car
with four doors. It symbolises a new and unique understanding of luxury.
“The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is designed to stir things up, to polarise
– it should move you emotionally,” explains Domagoj Dukec, Vice President
Design BMW M and BMW i. “With this car we want to reach people who are
looking for something special and who want to stand out from the crowd.
Here, BMW M is unmistakably taking luxury out of its comfort zone.” Like the
BMW Concept 8 Series before it, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe shows
off BMW’s new design language, headlined by expressive surfacing that
accentuates the car’s dynamism more vividly than before through its
bodywork. A small number of precise character lines underline the graphic
arrangement of the surfaces.
The front end: a promise of dynamic talent to quicken the pulse.
Low to the road and broad in stance, the eye-catching front end of
the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe delivers an immediate promise of an
exceptional performance experience. The muscular surfaces and precise
contours of the bonnet hint at the driving capability bubbling intently under the
skin.
The face of the new BMW 8 Series is evident in the new Concept’s front-end
graphic. The contours of the radiator grille kidneys broaden as they descend
towards the road, emphasising the car’s low centre of gravity. As on early
BMW coupes, the kidney elements are linked by an unbroken grille surround,
creating a large single element. The headlights are positioned slightly higher
than the kidneys and give them the impression of sitting lower, which further
emphasizes the car’s closeness to the asphalt. In contrast, the gold-coloured
kidney surround brings an added air of exclusivity to the front end. Within the
headlights, the lighting technology familiar from the M8 GTE endurance racer
provides a dynamic, hexagonal interpretation of BMW’s signature four-eyed
front end, distilling elements of modern-day motor sport and luxurious quality
into its inner details. Meanwhile, brawny air intakes in carbon-fibre-reinforced
plastic (CFRP) guide the air to where it is required.
The side – elegance meets powerful precision.
Even when viewed from a distance, the proportions of the
BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe radiate the car’s dynamic character. A long
wheelbase, long bonnet, flowing roofline and short tail create an elegantly
sporty coupe silhouette. The emotionally rich surfacing reaches a climax in
the car’s shoulders around the C-pillars, north of the rear wheels. Here, the
roof flows into the rear by means of elegantly sculpted fins. Lower down, the
muscular flared wheel arches offer a visual expression of the power working
through the rear axle. The smooth transitions between surfaces exude a
certain sensuousness, while the heavy tapering of the car’s shoulders
combines with a wide track to bring extra definition and athleticism. Being
every inch the BMW M car, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe has a roof
made from CFRP – which lowers the car’s centre of gravity both visually and
physically – and aerodynamically optimised exterior mirrors.
The Salève Vert paint finish, whose colour appears to change from green to
greyish blue in different lights, creates a hugely effective surface composition
and teams up with the gold-coloured window graphic, hallmark M gills, goldcoloured
brakes, wheel rims and M twin exhaust tailpipes to give the car a
head-turning, all-new look.
The rear packs an imposing presence.
The rear of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe oozes the dynamic élan and
visual impact for which M is renowned, and the wide track and flared wheel
arches hint at the car’s performance capability. Horizontal lines break up the
rear end stylistically, allowing the area below the rear spoiler to catch more
light and adding extra visual agility. At the outer edges, the slim, sculpted rear
lights with black glass covers underscore the car’s wide stance on the road.
Below them, the bumper picks up the front apron’s dynamic theme.
The prominent diffuser and two sets of familiar M twin exhaust tailpipes
together send out a clear message of absolute performance.
Looking ahead.
The striking exterior of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe combines the core
values of BMW M with elegance and luxury to create a new and captivating
form, and reveals a new and exciting facet of BMW M. The new model sees
the BMW Group looking ahead to the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and BMW
M8 Gran Coupe, which will be presented during the course of 2019 and
round off the BMW 8 Series family.