BMW 8 Series: everything we know ahead of the car’s 24 Hours of Le Mans launch

The range-topping coupe is set to hit
showrooms in November and will cost around £70,000

Preview

The new car will revive the 8 Series moniker after a nearly
twenty year hiatus. It will replace the current 6 Series coupe as
the range-topping two door model.

BMW announced plans to resurrect the 8 Series shortly
before unveiling a concept version at Italy’s Concorso d’Eleganza
Villa last year.

This weekend will mark the release of the production model, with
the wraps expected to come off at a special event in Le Mans tonight. Tomorrow morning the racing
version will hit the track hoping for victory at the historic
endurance race. 

Here’s everything we know about the new 8
Series: 

Price and release 

BMW is expected to announcing pricing during the car’s reveal in
France. Car magazine believes the new 8 Series will
cost around £70,000, while the faster M8 variant will come with a
price tag of £115,000.

Orders are tipped to open in November, the magazine says,
with deliveries expected early next year.

Design

Although BMW is keeping the production-ready version of
the new 8 Series top secret until the Le Mans weekend, the company
has recently started competing in GT racing with a motorsport
variant.

This version will bear some resemblance to the production model,
but giant wings and wide bodywork will only appear on the
competition car. 

The racing 8 Series will, however, have a pair of large air
intakes on the front bumper in the same shape as BMW’s iconic
kidney grille, while the headlights will be slightly bigger than
the ones that appeared on last year’s concept car. 

Spy shots posted by Auto Express of a heavily-camouflaged
version of the car testing at the 12.9-mile Nurburgring racing
circuit in Germany offer fans a closer look at the new 8
Series.

Although the thick camouflage wrap makes it hard to see
every detail, there are some things that stand out. The new 8
Series appears to have a sculpted roofline (to improve airflow over
the car) as well as a small spoiler that merges seamlessly into the
boot. 

Engines and performance 

The car will be a two-door version of the 7 Series saloon, says
Autocar. This means the 8 Series should adopt
the same naming conventions and engines as its saloon sibling.

With this in mind, the 8 Series is expected to feature an
entry-level 3.0-litre diesel motor from the BMW 720d, the magazine
says, along with a range-topping 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol
producing 523bhp. A hybrid model could appear further down the
line. 

BMW is also expected to offer a mix of rear and four-wheel
drive layouts, says Car magazine, while every model will come
fitted with an automatic gearbox. 

Details about the hardcore performance version, which is called
the M8, are still thin on the ground. More information about the M8
will come out over the Le Mans weekend.