[World Premiere] BMW 8 Series Concept

The time for the BMW 8 Series Concept’s unveiling has finally arrived. Check out the official photos released by BMW, Ahead of its official reveal in person at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Keep in mind that the real deal concept car you’ll see in the photos below will actually be the basis of the design of the upcoming 8 Series production model.

The design intention of BMW for this car is very clear upon seeing the interior. The size of traditionally big, sporty and luxurious, just like a GT car. The profile and proportions are just right. The aggressiveness is heightened by a long sloping hood, short rear deck and low profile. As a concept car, BMW has has its fun in putting exaggerated features without thinking about the regulations that apply to road-legal cars. The actual production car will look similar, but a bit toned down to adhere to legislation.

“The number 8 has always represented the pinnacle of sports performance and exclusivity at BMW,” said BMW CEO Harald Krüger. “The forthcoming BMW 8 Series Coupe will demonstrate that razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury can go hand-in-hand. This will be the next model in the expansion of our luxury-car offering and will raise the benchmark for coupes in the segment. In the process, we will strengthen our claim to leadership in the luxury class.”

At the front, we see the nose plunge down toward the road more aggressively than any other BMW. That nose also features massive kidney grilles that, thankfully, don’t blend into the incredibly squinty and angry headlights. The hood is also sharply creased and the front air intakes are simply enormous. Expect these features to be tamed way down for production duty but the idea of having such an angry face is a good one for the 8 Series. Give it some aggression, some snarl so that it isn’t just another luxo-barge GT.

“The BMW Concept 8 Series is our take on a full-blooded high-end driving machine,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “It is a luxurious sports car which embodies both unadulterated dynamics and modern luxury like arguably no other. For me, it’s a slice of pure automotive fascination.”

It’s in profile and from the rear three-quarters that this concept looks best, though, which is ironic because that’s also where the original 8 Series looked its best. The overall silhouette is very pretty, with its low and lean look, accentuated by its muscular hips. It’s a proper rear-wheel drive GT sports car, at least in terms of style. One interesting design is the change to BMW’s now-signature Air-Breather. What’s currently a little vent immediately behind the front wheel has now become a massive air vent that actually creates most of the side body creases of the car. BMW’s signature Hofmeister Kink is also present and looking sharp, especially with the absence of a B-pillar, another 8 Series staple.

From the rear, the BMW 8 Series Concept gives out the elegance from the original model. The taillights have BMW’s signature “L” design that’s upgraded a but with nice sculpting.

The BMW 8 Series Concept is wearing a new color called Barcelona Grey Liquid. It is a greyish blue color with highly iridescent pigment. It shows off the smooth surfaces and sharp contours really quite well. The 21″ wheels are also stunning.

Inside, the cabin is very sporty in nature. The driver sits low in the carbon fiber-backed buckets, which are lightweight, thin and covered in supple leather. These aren’t your granddad’s luxurious leather thrones, but the seats of a high-end sports car. The new steering wheel features three hand-polished aluminum spokes with the rim wrapped in alcantara and red shift paddles.

The center console beautifully flows up to the instrument panel, which is fully digital, and reminds us of what the dear 6 Series Coupe used to have. The center console also flows upward to house the iDrive screen. The flowing carbon fiber, aluminum and piano black trim all look great. What’s also interesting is the completely new shift-lever, which is small and sporty looking, far superior to the funny looking wedge of modern BMWs.

There is a red “Start/Stop” button beside the shift lever. It is the first time that BMW has positioned it as such and it looks good. Another change is the iDrive rotary knob’s material: now a knurled aluminum knob that appears to have higher quality than the current plastic one. A black gloss touchpad remains on top of the rotary knob and is covered in Swarovksi glass with a “Smoky Quartz” look. The cabin looks amazing because it feels like a high-end sporty GT car. Hopefully, most of the elements here will make it to the production version.

BMW’s work in this car is encouraging for the fans awaiting the 8 Series production version. If the road-legal version will even come close to what we’re seeing now, it can easily be one of BMW’s prettiest cars in a long time. It will make the 6 Series Coupe worth the sacrifice. Stay tuned for the real life photos from the launch!