Dingolfing is the plant where BMW builds the 5 Series and 7 Series. Now, you can add the new 8 Series Coupe, as BMW recently began production on the 8er this week.

“As the plant that builds the BMW 7 Series sedans, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing has outstanding expertise in producing vehicles for the luxury segment. We are optimally prepared for production of the new BMW 8 Series Coupé. I am sure our customers around the world will love this luxury sportscar.” said Dr. Andreas Wendt, head of BMW Group Plant Dingolfing.

The BMW 8 Series marks a return to the famous, or infamous depending on how you view the first generation, nameplate. It’s also the brand’s new flagship performance car, acting as the car that will display all of the best performance technology BMW has to offer. In the new BMW M850i, the only variant of the 8 Series we’ve seen so far, customers will get a newly revised 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8 with 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, more than that of the BMW M550i.

“I am proud that we will be producing the new BMW 8 Series Coupé at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. It will consolidate our position as a centre of competence for the luxury class and secure our site’s future.” said Stefan Schmid, chairman of the Works Council at the Dingolfing location.

It’s also a stunning thing to look at, as it’s BMW’s prettiest car in a very long time. It somehow manages to be better looking than even the BMW 6 Series Coupe before it. It’s both muscular and taught, aggressive and elegant. It manages that delicate balance between true sports car and grand touring car quite brilliantly, actually. From some angles, it looks so angry and from others it looks graceful.

The BMW 8 Series being built in Dingolfing is fitting, as the plant is already high-tech and ready to built such a car. In parallel with ramp-up of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe, digitalization of logistics and production processes in Dingolfing continues apace. For example, in door assembly, parts are delivered to the line by autonomous tugger trains; on the finish line, collaborative robots measure gaps and misalignments.

BMW Group Plant Dingolfing increasingly makes use of wearables. These mobile computer technologies worn on the body support staff with their tasks. In addition to the ProGlove smart glove scanner, a so-called “exotics alarm”, for example, will use the vibrating alarm of a smartwatch to alert staff when a car with non-standard equipment options is coming up and requires special attention.

Virtual reality glasses have also been used for the first time in training assembly staff: Specific assembly processes for the new BMW 8 Series were videoed and viewed by employees through VR glasses. This enabled them to familiarize themselves with the new model and the correct fitment process before production ramped up.

While the BMW M850i is the only car we’ve seen so far, the 8 Series will launch with two model variants, and two engine options, in Europe. The additional model variant will be the BMW 840d, which will sport a 3.0 liter turbocharged I6 diesel, packing 320 hp and a whopping 501 lb-ft. Both of those cars are being built in Dingolfing as we speak. Though, North American customers will only be able to get the M850i.

We can’t wait for deliveries to start and for us journalists to get our paws on them.