This is the BMW 8 Series GOLDEN THUNDER Edition

Welcome to one of the strangest special editions we’ve ever seen. Not because of what it is – a BMW 8 Series with gold bits – but because of what BMW has chosen to call it. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the BMW 8 Series…Golden Thunder Edition. Yes, Golden Thunder. Try saying that with a straight face, why don’t you.

You can have a Golden Thunder Coupe, Convertible or four-door Gran Coupe with any engine you like, from the six-cylinder 840i right the way through to the twin-turbo V8, 530bhp M850i (but not the M8).

All of them get matte or metallic black paintwork offset by gold-finished wheels and mirror caps. Then there’s the stripe, which runs right the way around the car, and the golden lip spoiler. Inside you get lashings of black leather. “Edition Golden Thunder” is embroidered into the front headrests, and the normally silver aluminium trim has been tinted – surprise – gold.

Sales start in September 2020. We don’t know prices, but we do know the Golden Thunder isn’t coming to Britain.

Ignoring the name for a second, what do we make of the car? Black/gold can work in certain circumstances, but does it here?

Click here to read our review of the BMW 8 Series.