Finally: BMW announces 8 Series revival, planned for 2018 debut
It'll begin life as a design study at Villa d'Este later this month.
The BMW 8 Series was one of the coolest looking coupes in the 1990s. Hopefully, its 21st century follow-up can live up to those ideals, even if there aren't any pop-up headlights.
BMW finally announced the existence of a new 8 Series flagship coupe today. However, we're not going to see it until 2018. It will start out as a design concept, teased here, which will be unveiled at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. That's certainly one way to make an entrance.
Please be cool, please be cool, please be cool.
"The BMW 8 Series Coupe will build on our tradition of luxurious sports coupes and add a genuine dream car to our line-up -- a slice of pure automotive fascination," said Harald Krüger,BMW AG board chairman, in a statement. "The 8 Series Coupe will underpin our claim to leadership in the luxury segment. I can tell you today that this will be a true luxury sports coupe."
While we don't know much about the car, there are a few assumptions we can make. It'll have one very obvious competitor, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, which is available in both luxury and performance trims. If, like Mercedes, BMW chooses to borrow engines from its flagship sedan, the 8 Series could feature engines ranging from a 2.0-liter I4 (part of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain) to the 6.6-liter V12 found in the M760Li.
BMW will unveil the 8 Series design study at the Concorso d'Eleganza on May 26, and you bet your britches we'll be waiting with bated breath.
