Wednesday 12th May 2010

More Pics: New BMW '8-Series'

Early sketches of BMW Concept Gran Coupe revealed

---

BMW has released early design sketches of its recent Concept Gran Coupe - a car that's tipped for production in 2012 as a new 8-series.

BMW hasn't actually revealed any more technical information on the car, which will take on the second-generation Mercedes CLS and Audi A7 four-door coupes when it appears in production form, but we do know that it is up to 100mm lower than the 7-series upon which the concept is based.

Reports elsewhere in the media suggest that the 8-series will use the same basic platform architecture that underpins the 5-series, 5-series GT and 7-series. The 8-series is also expected to get the same range of turbocharged straight-six petrol and diesel an petrol V8 powerplants and BMW's latest eight-speed automatic transmission.

	And the actual concept...

[BUG4LIFE]

Shouldn't an 8-series only have 2 doors?!?

[Ceylon]

Hmmm- slightly squashed 6M?

Problem with a distinctive design is they all start to look the same.

[BarnatosGhost]

Ceylon said:

Hmmm- slightly squashed 6M?

Problem with a distinctive design is they all start to look the same.

Do you mean: 'The problem with designs that all look the same is that they aren't distinctive.'?

[soad]

Quite okay but doesn't excite me much. I'd have a 6 series coupe instead.

[JumpinJack]

I think they should have bought this out instead of that big arsed 5 series GT thing! I like this a lot.

[Crook]

Wasn't the original 8 Series the replacement for the original 6 Series which has now been replaced with the current 6 Series which leaves nowhere for the 'new' 8 Series apart from being something else?

[pagani1]

Another boring BMW. Where have the great designers gone? Or are the safety laws dictating form? It doesn't have any visual drama of the CSL and the rump is gross.

[Andrew[MG]]

Are they maybe making this just to have a more presitige top of the line car to compete with Porsche and Aston Martin? Is it maybe more about brand building to try and sell more 1, 3 and 5 series?

[TUS 373]

No doubt, they will soon announce a 4x4, cabriolet estate version of the 8 Series too. Going by their God awful track record of late. These guys seem to muck about with 'car genetics' rather alot, begatting children that are not too pretty.

[dele]

Unless it has a V12, im not intrested

[Waugh-terfall]

I like that!, though I can't help thinking that it's what the new 5-series should have looked like. I can see BMW stepping on their own toes with this though, A. It's too similar to the 5-series, B. It's too similar to the 5-series GT, C. It's too similar (albeit lower) to the X6 and D. It's probably too similar to the 7-series too, and probably on its way to 7-series pricing as well.

Ideally, what it should be is a large 2-door Coupe, like the original 8-series, to rival the likes of Mercedes' CL-Class Coupe. That seems to be the only 'niche' that BMW do not have covered, and they've got every other one well and truly stuffed!

ETA: Forgot about the 6-series... But still, I wouldn't quite class it as a CL-Class rival...

Edited by Waugh-terfall on Wednesday 12th May 14:05

[obscene]

Looks fking ugly, so no surprise from the team of new BMW designers. Well done, you've managed to fk up another car.

How it should look:

[Shorty123]

absolutely pointless, dilute the range even further until they all start to look the same, lots of manufacturers seem to be doing this.

The old 840-850 were awesome, but overpriced and depreciated drastically.

[S3_Graham]

Waugh-terfall said:

I like that!, though I can't help thinking that it's what the new 5-series should have looked like. I can see BMW stepping on their own toes with this though, A. It's too similar to the 5-series, B. It's too similar to the 5-series GT, C. It's too similar (albeit lower) to the X6 and D. It's probably too similar to the 7-series too, and probably on its way to 7-series pricing as well.

Ideally, what it should be is a large 2-door Coupe, like the original 8-series, to rival the likes of Mercedes' CL-Class Coupe. That seems to be the only 'niche' that BMW do not have covered, and they've got every other one well and truly stuffed!

ETA: Forgot about the 6-series... But still, I wouldn't quite class it as a CL-Class rival...

Edited by Waugh-terfall on Wednesday 12th May 14:05

i'd put money on them marketing it as a 7 series coupe! its looks nice enough but its hardly a fitting replacement for the 8 flagship!

[Remagel2507]

Wonder what engine the M model will have? The TT V12 from the RR Ghost prehaps

[mr_tony]

Just a very slow, very boring response to the Merc CLS.

[Mr Will]

S3_Graham said:

i'd put money on them marketing it as a 7 series coupe! its looks nice enough but its hardly a fitting replacement for the 8 flagship!

Surely the 6 series is a 5 series coupe, so 8 series for this would make sense.

[g3org3y]

I like it, a lot.

I do however think that's what the new 5 Series should have been.

[jonnydm]

Mr Will said:

S3_Graham said:

i'd put money on them marketing it as a 7 series coupe! its looks nice enough but its hardly a fitting replacement for the 8 flagship!

Surely the 6 series is a 5 series coupe, so 8 series for this would make sense.

Yes, except that this design has 4 doors.

[nouze]

YEAH, they've destroyed it! This is how it should look like.