BMW M8 Gran Coupe Concept
The M8 Gran Coupe’s credentials will put it right in the thick of the highperformance-limousine action Show car previews next four- door BMW flagship. Expect 600bhp and a proper ‘ M’ spirit
1 MECHANICALS
BMW is remaining tight- lipped about what lies beneath the skin of the M8 Gran Coupe, but we’re not expecting any surprises. Powering the production version should be the 4.4- litre twin- turbo V8 from the new M5, with just shy of 600bhp and a similar figure in lb f t for peak torque. It should also use the M5’ s four- wheel- drive system, complete with the ability to be rear- drive only if you select the appropriate driving mode.
Such credentials will put the M8 right in the thick of the high- per formance- limousine action, with rivals including Porsche’s Panamera Turbo, Mercedes- AMG’S GT63 S ( see pa ge 14), and Audi’s nex t RS7, which is said to of fer both conventional and electrically boosted power trains.
2 PAINT & METAL
The largely green but also blue- grey flip paint is called Salève Ver t – af ter a mountain near Geneva. It’s supposed to signif y the Jek yll and Hyde a spect of the car: the angr y green the overarching colour; grey being the under tone of luxur y, with the sudden fla sh of blue signif ying BMW M.
BMW is also confident that it can now introduce the kind of finger- slicingly sharp crea ses in aluminium that have so far proved impossible with the company’s design complex langua ge and its avoidance of parallel lines. As Doma goj Dukec, vice president of design for BMW i and M, explains: ‘ We want expression first, precision second. We believe we can now do both – crisp lines and sculptured sur faces.’
3 DESIGN
The M8 Gran Coupe is one of the more successful meldings of a spor tier profile with four- door practicality. At over five metres long it’s a big car, and it’s also slightly taller than the 8- series Coupe that BMW ha s recently shown in camoufla ged form. However, the ex tra height ha s been well disguised by the flowing fa stback roofline.
At the rear, the use of a pla stic bootlid enables a pronounced, integrated ducktail spoiler, while the rear wheelarches are wider than on the regular 8- series Coupe, giving the car a ‘ Coke bottle’ appearance down the flanks. There’s an ex tra crea se line along the sides, too, which Dukec says gives a sense of power and prestige compared with the sof ter, more ‘ sex y’ cur ves of the coupe.
4 M BITS
There will be non- M versions of the 8- series Gran Coupe too, so which elements are specific to the M- car? Unsurprisingly, the three-intake front bumper is an M part, as are the wider front wheelarches, the carbon roof panel and the rear diffuser. But it’s the M’s yellow day time running lights that really stand out, taking inspiration from the M8 GTE endurance racer. Dukec says BMW is trying to make them legal for production.
The wheels may look like previous M alloys, but they feature something BMW believes is an industry first. The lighter surfaces are achieved by milling , not painting , and the angled faces give the wheels a diamond effect on the move, rather than the usual rotating- disc look.