For months, rumors have been wafting out of Munich about the resurrection of the 8 Series. Motor Authority has now published spy photos that seem to prove that the darn thing is real. The original BMW 8 Series Coupe was produced from 1989 to 1999; only 31,062 were ever built, making the series a rare one, especially the high-end 850Ci and CSi models.
For Motor Authority’s report and all the spy shots, click here.
Earlier this year, Auto Express reported that BMW had trademarked a number of 8 Series designations, including 825, 830, 835, 845, 860, M850, and—woohoo!—M8. That news gave us hope that BMW was considering building an 8 Series again. These new spy photos raise that hope to a new level.
Spy photos do not portend an imminent release, however. There’s a good chance that if an 8 Series indeed has a green light, it may not be available until at least 2019 or 2020.
Note that BMW has gone to great lengths to camouflage this test car. Even the exhaust tips are wrapped in camo. Seriously, camouflaged exhaust tips? Like, we can’t tell it’s a BMW because we don’t know if the exhaust tips are black or chrome?
The spy photos show a coupe that is long and low and has a roofline that swoops into the trunk in such a way that would make in nearly impossible for BMW to somehow turn this into a four-door car like the 6 Series Gran Coupe or the 4 Series Gran Coupe, and for that, we are grateful.
Whether or not BMW enthusiasts think that every model from Mercedes-Benz and Audi need a BMW competitor, or whether every market niche needs a BMW in it, BMW’s executives apparently do. The name of the game is sales and profit and BMW believes they need more of both in order to be the top premium vehicle provider.
The original 8 Series Coupe provided a sporty two-door at the top of the BMW model hierarchy. That spot is now occupied by the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car; but the i8—while a magnificent halo car for BMW—is not a direct competitor to the Mercedes-Benz S550. A new 8 Series Coupe could be.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of Motor Authority.]
