The all-new BMW 8 Series coupe will debut in only two weeks’ time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A convertible and M8 will come at a later date, as well as the production version of the M8 Gran Coupe concept, which made its first appearance earlier this year at Geneva. Hands down, it was one of the best-looking concepts of the Swiss show, and our BMW sources tell us it’s about 80 percent of the final car. Like the upcoming coupe, the Gran Coupe is built on the same CLAR modular platform that underpins the 5 and 7 Series and the next generation 3 Series.
And now BMW has taken the M8 Gran Coupe Concept outside for some Italian sun at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the annual event that plays host to some of the world’s most beautiful new and old cars. The one-off Ferrari SP38 also made its debut appearance there.
And as you can see from this video, the M8 Gran Coupe is big. Measuring at just over 16 feet in length, the vehicle’s roofline is also a bit higher than that of the 8 Series coupe. This was necessary in order to properly accommodate not only rear seat occupants, but also to enable more than sufficient cargo capacity. Remember, this will be slotted above the 7 Series sedan in BMW’s range, so essentially we’re dealing with a new flagship sedan here. Although BMW is keeping mum on major details, chances are the M8 Gran Coupe will feature the familiar 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 under its low-line hood.
An impressive 600 hp or so is also likely, as is an eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels. Rear-wheel drive is possible, however, thanks to a unique driver’s mode. If all goes to plan, and there’s no reason why it won’t, we could see the production-spec M8 Gran Coupe next year at Geneva.
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