BMW leaks 8 Series silhouette amid rumours of new M8 GTE’s debut at Daytona

It seems to us that we are getting ever closer to the day that BMW pulls off the cover of the new 8 Series. We have seen enough spy shots and leaked photos of the model, and the only thing that has not been done really is for them to reveal the German automaker’s big coupe.

BMW has recently shared another teaser video of the said model in action on Twitter, as well as some images on Facebook albeit still in camouflage. So far, the automaker would only say that it remains on track for the 2018 release.

The photo that has been posted on Facebook has a caption, indicating that this model offers us a glimpse into the future. Though it is just a silhouette, it gives us an impression of the car’s shapely rear, sculpted roof, and illuminated headlights - that match what we saw earlier in a leaked photograph. The video, on the other hand, lets us hear the 8 Series’ roar, sounding like it has been equipped with a V8 engine.

With all those teasers being released one after the other, we may actually see the Series 8 sooner than many had thought. Not in months or in a few weeks, but maybe even this week. It was announced last December that a competition version of the high performance M8 will race at the Rolex 24 in Daytona. A road-going M8, on the other hand, will make its appearance sometime this year as well. It’s also expected that the performance model would be released just several months after the standard model, which would likely be an 850i.

Despite the camouflage suit and whatever add-ons the M8 GTE is wearing over its body, we think that we will see the real thing very soon, considering the fact that BMW has been very active on social media anticipating its release.

According to the German automaker, the new 8 Series is currently being test-driven at the 2.5-mile high speed oval proving ground in Aprilia, Italy. This is also where it will be tuned to achieve a balance of agility and comfort at high speeds - the hallmarks of a true grand tourer.

So far, we had not been informed of what’s underneath the hood of the 8 Series. But it seems like it will be getting the same 4.4 liter biturbo engine just like that in the M5. And if the automaker sticks to what the 7 Series has, we can probably expect an 850i with a V8, followed by an 860i with a V12 under its hood.

PRESS RELEASE

Warm-up laps in Italy: The new BMW 8 Series Coupe undergoes vehicle dynamics testing on the racetrack.

Prototype of the new luxury segment sports car completes endurance tests on the high-speed circuit in Aprilia – Preparations for market launch during 2018 progress according to schedule.

Munich. With the presentation of the BMW Concept 8 Series, BMW already offered a close-to-series glimpse at the design of their new luxury segment sports car. The dynamic qualities of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe are now also clearly manifesting themselves. A close-to-series prototype is currently undergoing intensive testing on a high-speed proving ground in Aprilia, Italy. The tests serve in particular to optimise the vehicle’s driving dynamics on surfaces with a high friction coefficient and mark yet a further decisive stage on the way to the launch of the new BMW 8 Coupe during 2018.

The test drives are being carried out with a heavily camouflaged prototype, which nevertheless gives strong indication of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe’s typical sports car proportions. As in the case of the BMW Concept 8 Series, the dynamically stretched lines, the flat silhouette and the powerful front and rear ends give a foretaste of the fascinatingly sporty driving experience.

This impression is confirmed with each lap completed on the proving ground in Italy. With its around 4 kilometres long oval circuit, including steep bends, the area situated in the proximity of Rome offers above all the perfect conditions for high-speed and high friction coefficient tests. Moreover, the acceleration, braking and steering behaviour of the new sports car are analysed on circuits, slalom courses and different road surfaces. The highly demanding test programme facilitates the targeted harmonisation of all drive and suspension systems. The new BMW 8 Series Coupe has shown that it offers maximum agility and precision in highly dynamics situations. Likewise, the car is also able to meet the highest demands in terms of supremacy and comfort.

“The test drives under the most severe conditions show that we are right on target with our concept for the new BMW 8 Series Coupe. The vehicle dynamics values already achieved are absolutely impressive. Our customers and fans can look forward to a genuine sports car,” says Klaus Fröhlich, member of the board of the BMW AG, Development and Research, who oversees the test programme in Italy.

The high vehicle dynamics potential results from an extraordinary close connection between motorsports and series production. The new BMW 8 Series Coupe is being developed parallel to and in close coordination with the BMW M8 and the BMW M8 GTE racing car. Whilst the prototype of the production model is undergoing endurance tests, the teams, which are supported by BMW Motorsport, are currently preparing in Daytona (USA) for the initial racetrack use of the BMW M8 GTE. On 27/28 January, the BMW M8 GTE will make its racing debut at the Daytona 24-hour race. In June 2018, it will then participate in the 24-hour race at Le Mans. The knowledge gained there and at numerous other racing events in the FIA WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) in North America will directly benefit series development of the BMW 8 Series Coupe.

Likewise, the know-how gained during training and on the racetrack will advance development of the new BMW M8. In June 2017, a prototype of this new model from the BMW M GmbH was already presented during the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring. The Nordschleife of the legendary racing circuit is also the main proving ground for testing and further enhancing the new BMW M8.

The BMW Group has defined its strong presence in the luxury segment as one of the major pillars of its NUMBER ONE > NEXT strategy. With the consistent extension of its model portfolio through the addition of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe and the new BMW M8, the BMW Group creates the ideal prerequisites for winning over the most demanding target groups and convincing them with a unique combination of supreme dynamics and modern luxury.

*Due to the prototype vehicle status, technical details like fuel consumption, CO2 emissions etc. will be communicated later this year.