At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, BMW has just unveiled the all-new BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe. The Bavarians label the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe as being ultra-sporty, extrovert and polarizing.
“The BMW 8 Series will take over as the new flagship model of the BMW line-up 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.”
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is designed to stir things up, to polarize – 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.”
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe shows off BMW’s new design language, with new surfacing design cues that accentuate the car’s sportiness. A small number of precise character lines underline the graphic arrangement of the surfaces.
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, emphasizing the car’s low center of gravity. The kidney elements are linked by an unbroken grille surround, creating a large single element.
The headlights are positioned slightly higher than the gold-colored kidneys and give them the impression of sitting lower. The lighting technology familiar from the M8 GTE is also present, along with the massive air intakes in carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP).
A long wheelbase, long bonnet, flowing roofline and short tail create an elegantly sporty coupe silhouette. The roof flows into the rear with elegantly sculpted fins, while the muscular flared wheel arches emphasize the power working through the rear axle. The heavy tapering of the car’s shoulders combines with a wide track to bring extra definition and athleticism.
The hallmark M gills, gold-colored brakes, M wheels and M twin exhaust tailpipes remind us once again that this is a proper M car.
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is painted in the Salève Vert paint finish, a color that changes from green to greyish blue in different lights.
In the back, BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe features a wide track and flared wheel arches with horizontal lines breaking up the rear end. At the outer edges, the slim, sculpted rear lights with black glass covers underscore the car’s wide stance on the road.
As with most concepts, BMW shies away from mentioning the powertrain, but we expect the same unit from the F90 M5 to make its way into the M8 Gran Coupe, with a slight power upgrade.
The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and BMW M8 Gran Coupe will be introduced during the course of 2019.
