BMW confirms four-door 8 Series is on the way to rival Porsche Panamera, with reveal due in the coming weeks
BMW will broaden its 8 Series to three bodystyles with a four-door coupe this year, and the brand has released the first official image of it.
The side-on profile shot keeps the bottom section of the car hidden, but we can see it’s grown significantly in size to accommodate the extra doors. The shape is still recognisable from the two-door car, though.
The new car takes over the market position previously occupied by the old 6 Series Gran Coupe and is directly aimed at cars such as the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes-Benz CLS. It shares its engines and underpinnings with the 8 Series Coupe, but with an extended wheelbase and raised roofline offering more passenger and luggage room.
Previous spy images also showed the design is a familiar adaptation of the coupe and convertible, with the undisguised front end looking largely identical and a recognisable rear shape. It’s not clear yet, however, whether two or three rear seats will be offered; the coupe is a strict two-seater in the back.
The engine range of the Gran Coupe will mirror the rest of the 8 Series range, with a 316bhp 840d diesel entry point and the 532bhp M850i xDrive both available from launch. Later on, a flagship M8 version will be offered, using a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 producing upwards of 600bhp.
It’s not clear yet if the even more powerful M8 Competition will transfer to four-door form, but it’s likely. At the bottom of the range, we should see a lower-powered petrol model eventually offered, as well as some form of hybrid at a later date.
The two-door 840d is priced from £76,000, so expect the equivalent Gran Coupe to edge towards the £80,000 mark. With a reveal expected in the coming weeks, we can expect first UK cars to arrive before 2019 is out.
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Source: Autocar
