It’s no secret that this generation of BMW 8 Series has been a bit of a sales dud. Its high sticker price, handling of a large coupe, and an interior that doesn’t feel up to its price tag all combined to put the 8 Series at a massive disadvantage, compared to the other cars in its price range. Which is a shame, as the 8er is a good looking car and a great grand touring car. With all of that said, should BMW give the 8 Series another shot and make a successor, or move on and cut its losses?
What’s likely to happen is that BMW will end up scrapping the 8 Series for the next generation, killing it off at the end of this gen’s model year. From what we’ve heard, a successor to this generation 8 Series is still being debated. However, there’s also a rumor that the 8 Series Gran Coupe might actually survive, as it’s the only model variant of the 8 Series that sells decently. Also, customers seem to be trending more toward sleek four-doors than two-door coupes.
At this point, the rumor is that no BMW 8 Series successor has been approved, and that’s understandable considering that there is a new BMW platform arriving in 2025. With that said, electrification could bring on a whole new set of opportunities for the 8 Series. Once BMW makes the switch to fully electric models, it will have more flexibility to play with new body styles, as EV powertrains make designing new cars far easier. So while this is almost certainly the end for the current 8 Series, this might not be the last of the nameplate.
It will be sad to see the 8 Series go, though, even if it isn’t really deserving of sticking around. The first-gen 8er — the E31 generation — was a charming but flawed and overly expensive car that didn’t get a second generation until nearly twenty years later. This second-gen car isn’t quite as charming as its predecessor but it’s still a good car that seemed like it had so much potential during its development.
I do wish BMW would give it a third generation to get the 8 Series right but that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon. Hopefully electrification can give the nameplate new life sometime in the future.
