The impending second coming of the BMW 8 Series grand touring car will be lead by the (presumed 2019) BMW M850i xDrive Coupe, which the company says will feature four-wheel drive, a locking rear differential (what is this, a dang truck?) and 530 horsepower.
In a press release, BMW has confirmed that the M850i xDrive Coupe will have a “completely redeveloped V8 engine,” so no V12 on the record yet, rated to make the aforementioned 530 horsepower and, perhaps more impressively, 554 lb-ft of torque from 1,800 RPM. That will be paired with an 8-speed automatic.
The car’s Head of Suspension Application, Jos Van As, is quoted in the same release saying the new 8 will be capable of “exceptionally high cornering speeds prior to the intervention of the electronics. So those who wish can drive on the racing track with active DSC, too.”
I’m pretty sure the only way an 8 Series is finding its way onto a race track, at least after the inevitably extravagant media launch event, is if somebody takes a wrong turn looking for premium parking. But hey, that doesn’t mean we won’t appreciate being able to take corners quickly.
Advertisement
BMW has also stated that the M850i xDrive Coupe will run a “rear wheel focused” intelligent four-wheel drive system (it was notdescribed as all-wheel drive) with staggered wheel sizes and an “active” rear axle differential lock meaning that the car should be able to bind up the rear axle for extremely well-managed traction in a straight-ahead pull.
Adaptive M suspension Professional with “active roll stabilization and Integral Active Steering” are supposed to be constantly optimizing the car’s responsiveness between stiff and soft. And of course, there will sport and comfort modes for the powertrain and suspension.
Stability control, engine noise, and suspension response are all supposed to be variable at the click of a button.
Advertisement
Basically, all this information sounds like what you’d expect from a fast luxury cruiser.
I imagine there will be a slightly less impressive version too, by the name of something like 840, and perhaps an ultra plush V12 860 in the future. Here’s hoping for an sDrive rear-drive variant too, though I have a feeling the four-wheeled power system that BMW describes is going to make for a pretty sweet ride.
Advertisement
I’m also optimistic that the new BMW 8 Series will look less like a Mustang with the camo off. Those little lines in the lights really kind of look familiar though, don’t they? You can ponder that, and why BMW did a huge photo shoot with this car without taking its camo off, while you look at the rest of these pictures.
Advertisement
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
