The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe Showcases a New Interpretation of Luxury for the BMW Brand.
- Alexander Schmuck
Munich, Germany- March 6, 2018... The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe illustrates the meaning behind the letter “M” at BMW in impressive style: it stands for “more”, more of everything. As well as dynamic excellence, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe embodies a new facet of luxury for the BMW brand – ultra-sporty, extrovert and polarising.
“The BMW 8 Series will take over as the new flagship model of the BMW line-up and, as such, combines unsurpassed sportiness and elegance,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe offers a look ahead to the most exotic and alluring variant of the new BMW 8 Series.”
Symbol of a unique understanding of luxury.
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is more than simply a luxury sports car with four doors. It symbolises a new and unique understanding of luxury. “The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is designed to stir things up, to polarise – it should move you emotionally,” explains Domagoj Dukec, Vice President Design BMW M and BMW i. “With this car we want to reach people who are looking for something special and who want to stand out from the crowd. Here, BMW M is unmistakably taking luxury out of its comfort zone.” Like the BMW Concept 8 Series before it, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe shows off BMW’s new design language, headlined by expressive surfacing that accentuates the car’s dynamism more vividly than before through its bodywork. A small number of precise character lines underline the graphic arrangement of the surfaces.
The front end: a promise of dynamic talent to quicken the pulse.
Low to the road and broad in stance, the eye-catching front end of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe delivers an immediate promise of an exceptional performance experience. The muscular surfaces and precise contours of the bonnet hint at the driving capability bubbling intently under the skin.
The face of the new BMW 8 Series is evident in the new Concept’s front-end graphic. The contours of the radiator grille kidneys broaden as they descend towards the road, emphasising the car’s low centre of gravity. As on early BMW coupes, the kidney elements are linked by an unbroken grille surround, creating a large single element. The headlights are positioned slightly higher than the kidneys and give them the impression of sitting lower, which further emphasizes the car’s closeness to the asphalt. In contrast, the gold-coloured kidney surround brings an added air of exclusivity to the front end. Within the headlights, the lighting technology familiar from the M8 GTE endurance racer provides a dynamic, hexagonal interpretation of BMW’s signature four-eyed front end, distilling elements of modern-day motor sport and luxurious quality into its inner details. Meanwhile, brawny air intakes in carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) guide the air to where it is required.
The side – elegance meets powerful precision.
Even when viewed from a distance, the proportions of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe radiate the car’s dynamic character. A long wheelbase, long bonnet, flowing roofline and short tail create an elegantly sporty coupe silhouette. The emotionally rich surfacing reaches a climax in the car’s shoulders around the C-pillars, north of the rear wheels. Here, the roof flows into the rear by means of elegantly sculpted fins. Lower down, the muscular flared wheel arches offer a visual expression of the power working through the rear axle. The smooth transitions between surfaces exude a certain sensuousness, while the heavy tapering of the car’s shoulders combines with a wide track to bring extra definition and athleticism. Being every inch the BMW M car, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe has a roof made from CFRP – which lowers the car’s centre of gravity both visually and physically – and aerodynamically optimised exterior mirrors.
The Salève Vert paint finish, whose colour appears to change from green to greyish blue in different lights, creates a hugely effective surface composition and teams up with the gold-coloured window graphic, hallmark M gills, gold-coloured brakes, wheel rims and M twin exhaust tailpipes to give the car a head-turning, all-new look.
The rear packs an imposing presence.
The rear of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe oozes the dynamic élan and visual impact for which M is renowned, and the wide track and flared wheel arches hint at the car’s performance capability. Horizontal lines break up the rear end stylistically, allowing the area below the rear spoiler to catch more light and adding extra visual agility. At the outer edges, the slim, sculpted rear lights with black glass covers underscore the car’s wide stance on the road. Below them, the bumper picks up the front apron’s dynamic theme. The prominent diffuser and two sets of familiar M twin exhaust tailpipes together send out a clear message of absolute performance.
Looking ahead.
The striking exterior of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe combines the core values of BMW M with elegance and luxury to create a new and captivating form, and reveals a new and exciting facet of BMW M. The new model sees the BMW Group looking ahead to the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and BMW M8 Gran Coupe, which will be presented during the course of 2019 and round off the BMW 8 Series family.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles in the U.S. BMW Motorrad was brought into the fold in 1980. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com
“The BMW 8 Series will take over as the new flagship model of the BMW line-up and, as such, combines unsurpassed sportiness and elegance,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe offers a look ahead to the most exotic and alluring variant of the new BMW 8 Series.”
Symbol of a unique understanding of luxury.
The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is more than simply a luxury sports car with four doors. It symbolises a new and unique understanding of luxury. “The BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe is designed to stir things up, to polarise – it should move you emotionally,” explains Domagoj Dukec, Vice President Design BMW M and BMW i. “With this car we want to reach people who are looking for something special and who want to stand out from the crowd. Here, BMW M is unmistakably taking luxury out of its comfort zone.” Like the BMW Concept 8 Series before it, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe shows off BMW’s new design language, headlined by expressive surfacing that accentuates the car’s dynamism more vividly than before through its bodywork. A small number of precise character lines underline the graphic arrangement of the surfaces.
The front end: a promise of dynamic talent to quicken the pulse.
Low to the road and broad in stance, the eye-catching front end of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe delivers an immediate promise of an exceptional performance experience. The muscular surfaces and precise contours of the bonnet hint at the driving capability bubbling intently under the skin.
The face of the new BMW 8 Series is evident in the new Concept’s front-end graphic. The contours of the radiator grille kidneys broaden as they descend towards the road, emphasising the car’s low centre of gravity. As on early BMW coupes, the kidney elements are linked by an unbroken grille surround, creating a large single element. The headlights are positioned slightly higher than the kidneys and give them the impression of sitting lower, which further emphasizes the car’s closeness to the asphalt. In contrast, the gold-coloured kidney surround brings an added air of exclusivity to the front end. Within the headlights, the lighting technology familiar from the M8 GTE endurance racer provides a dynamic, hexagonal interpretation of BMW’s signature four-eyed front end, distilling elements of modern-day motor sport and luxurious quality into its inner details. Meanwhile, brawny air intakes in carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) guide the air to where it is required.
The side – elegance meets powerful precision.
Even when viewed from a distance, the proportions of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe radiate the car’s dynamic character. A long wheelbase, long bonnet, flowing roofline and short tail create an elegantly sporty coupe silhouette. The emotionally rich surfacing reaches a climax in the car’s shoulders around the C-pillars, north of the rear wheels. Here, the roof flows into the rear by means of elegantly sculpted fins. Lower down, the muscular flared wheel arches offer a visual expression of the power working through the rear axle. The smooth transitions between surfaces exude a certain sensuousness, while the heavy tapering of the car’s shoulders combines with a wide track to bring extra definition and athleticism. Being every inch the BMW M car, the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe has a roof made from CFRP – which lowers the car’s centre of gravity both visually and physically – and aerodynamically optimised exterior mirrors.
The Salève Vert paint finish, whose colour appears to change from green to greyish blue in different lights, creates a hugely effective surface composition and teams up with the gold-coloured window graphic, hallmark M gills, gold-coloured brakes, wheel rims and M twin exhaust tailpipes to give the car a head-turning, all-new look.
The rear packs an imposing presence.
The rear of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe oozes the dynamic élan and visual impact for which M is renowned, and the wide track and flared wheel arches hint at the car’s performance capability. Horizontal lines break up the rear end stylistically, allowing the area below the rear spoiler to catch more light and adding extra visual agility. At the outer edges, the slim, sculpted rear lights with black glass covers underscore the car’s wide stance on the road. Below them, the bumper picks up the front apron’s dynamic theme. The prominent diffuser and two sets of familiar M twin exhaust tailpipes together send out a clear message of absolute performance.
Looking ahead.
The striking exterior of the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe combines the core values of BMW M with elegance and luxury to create a new and captivating form, and reveals a new and exciting facet of BMW M. The new model sees the BMW Group looking ahead to the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and BMW M8 Gran Coupe, which will be presented during the course of 2019 and round off the BMW 8 Series family.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles in the U.S. BMW Motorrad was brought into the fold in 1980. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com
