The BMW Concept 8 Series includes many new looks, of which about 80 percent are expected to get to the production stage. At least that’s what BMW has been telling us over the last few weeks. When the revived 8 Series came to life in May, the initial reactions have been positive, with most praising BMW for the boldness inside and outside the car. The concept is a grand tourer in the tradition of the original BMW 8 Series, which was produced between 1989 and 1999.
In contrast to the squarish proportions of its predecessor, the new 8 Series Concept features lines that flow like water over its Barcelona Gray Liquid body. Creases along the hood and large side air intakes give the concept a fluid look. Bold arches framing 21-inch alloy wheels hint at the car’s rear-wheel-drive athleticism. A large kidney grille, slim, double hexagonal laser headlights and large air intakes form a striking, sporty front-end graphic, draw inspiration from the company’s coupes of years past, while the kidneys are brought together by an unbroken frame to form a single, wide element, emphasizing the dynamic character.
From the back, the Concept 8 Series looks particularly unique from other BMWs. One can easily sport the wide, horizontal taillights with L-shaped OLED elements, along with rear spoiler molded into the trunklid and trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes. A dark carbon-fiber diffuser can be found in the lower section of the rear apron.
Inside BMW has gone heavily for carbon-fibre accents, both aesthetic and structural – like the carbon-fibre shells for the leather-covered seats. Other luxury touches include a faceted ground gearshift lever and iDrive Controller made from Swarovski glass. The new steering wheel features three hand-polished aluminum spokes with the rim wrapped in alcantara and red shift paddles.
The center console beautifully flows up to the instrument panel, which is fully digital, in a similar vein as the recently-departed 6 Series Coupe. That was the 6er’s best interior quality and we’re glad some semblance of that still remains in the 8 Series. The center console also flows upward to house the iDrive screen, which looks like it could be production ready right now.
BMW will launch the 8 Series Coupe in 2018, followed by a convertible and a gran coupe model.
