Is BMW gearing up for a new 8-Series?

Rumours are swirling that BMW is readying a brand new 8-Series. This is good news, because we rather like the BMW 8-Series.

Seems BMW’s VP of Group Design, Adrian van Hooydonk, is open to the idea too. When pushed on whether there was one on the horizon, he said: “Obviously we feel very good about where we are right now, but BMW is a company that doesn’t rest on its success of yesterday.

“We’re constantly looking to expand our range as we have done in the past. We’re looking at every opportunity, and maybe 8-Series could be such an opportunity,” he added.

Sounds like we’re heading in the right direction, then. And it's been a long-time coming, too: the original ‘E31’ 8-Series was unveiled at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, and built for ten years right up until 1999.

BMW sold 30,621 8-Series models over its ten year life-span, and van Hooydonk adds that of course, the more choice you offer to the customer, the more chance you have “to sell more product”. Naturally.

An all-new 8-Series utilising BMW’s new carbon core and CFRP expertise, not to mention its new range of freshly turbocharged engines – including the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 from the M5 and M6 – would certainly help Munich fight back against Mercedes in the big coupe battle.

Of course, BMW is focusing on its entire ‘vehicle generation’ strategy from 2020, which will of course, incorporate the rise of the intelligent car. “I believe in the year 2020 and beyond, there will be major tech changes again, and this whole thing that we call digitalisation – or cars becoming more intelligent – will happen in that timeframe,” van Hooydonk tells TG.

“That will lead to fairly major design changes… and opportunities,” he adds.

So, while BMW mulls over the return of the 8-Series, fire up your opinions in the comments below – should the big coupe return? If so, let’s get a proper M8 this time around…

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