BMW M8 Gran Coupe concept
BMW rode the wave of ’80s decadence with the original 8-series. Now the 8 is back. And next year we’ll get the M8 – a true Munich lagship M8 Gran Coupe Concept
M5 not big nor sleek enough for you? Try this
IF THE 6 SERIES never felt anything other than niche (blame the porky, cumbersome chassis), BMW’s taking no chances with the new 8-series. Within months of its concept unveiling, an allnew GTE race car had debuted at Daytona, in a stunning, vaguely CSL-inspired M Division livery to make the old guard weep with joy, and we’ve had confirmation not just of an M version but of an M8 family: coupe, convertible and four-door coupe to wrack Panamera fans with indecision. Rather than slip into the room unnoticed, 6-series style, the 8’s crashed through the doors, lamped both bouncers and jumped behind the bar to get at the spirits. Naked.
At this stage, the M8 Gran Coupe is a concept. With any luck, though, its delectable metalwork won’t change, for this is a good-looking thing; purposeful and elegant despite the intrinsic conflict of a four-door coupe. And intrinsic conflict or not, these are the cars to which wealthy buyers now aspire. They are extrovert, almost flamboyant. Stylish with a distinct dynamic touch. They’re head-turners and yet sufficiently functional to work as family cars. They’re more prestigious than four-door notchbacks yet much more practical than a two-door, four-seater coupe – ever tried to climb into an RS5’s second row? Pricey and powerful, these last of the Mohicans – the M8, AMG’s new GT 4-Door, the thus-far genre-defining Porsche Panamera – are set to capture the hearts of wellheeled petrolheads.
Particularly this one: its sleek silhouette; the M5’s stunning V8 turned up to 11; the promise of best-of-both-worlds all-wheel drive, with searing cross-country speed or greasy drifts just an iDrive twirl away.
The M8 is the work of Domagoj Dukec – DD to his friends. An eight-year BMW veteran, the Croatian was recently put in charge of BMW’s crucial (for very different reasons) i and M sub-brands. Looking after the bookends of the marque may be an unusual job description – you can well imagine the challenge of leaping from skinny-tyred future city EVs to fat, V8-engined performance cars – but it makes sense if
INTRINSIC CONFLICT OR NOT, FOUR DOOR COUPES ARE THE CARS TO WHICH WEALTHY BUYERS NOW ASPIRE
it’s viewed as the uncompromising pursuit of extremes rather than the mainstream concerns of the big sellers; absolute efficiency and unfettered brawniness.
‘The M cars speak a different body language,’ says DD. ‘They display flares and bulges and lips, as befits their performance. And, of course, they run on the biggest wheels and sit closest to the ground – their proportions are even more emotional that the cars on which they’re based.’
Attention-grabbing details on the new concept include galvanised rose trim and the Salève Vert ‘flip-flop’ paint job (Peter Wheeler would be proud) which appears metallic green from some angles and blue others. Then there are the U-shaped yellow LED headlights, which look just perfect for a domestic-market Citroën DS, circa 1975.
‘This car stands for a new type of performance-oriented luxury,’ insists Dukec. ‘The warm yellow headlamps are the emotive antithesis of cold white LEDs with their piercing blue ultra-intensity. The ChromaFlair paint demonstrates what our Individual division is capable of. And the brightwork4