We’ve been patiently waiting for the better part of four months for our first glimpse of the new 2019 BMW 8 Series in the metal.
The 2018 Paris Motor Show is the first time BMW has brought the 8 Series to a major gathering of the automotive press since the car's debut at the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours, where it’s glimmering under the lights next to the new 3 Series, along with the revamped X5.
The big coupe joins the lineup as the spiritual successor to the sometimes loved 6 Series coupe, the M850i arrives with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 which is good for 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, compared to the 462 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque the same engine puts out under the hood of the X5.
It’s unclear just how popular the 8 Series will prove to be, but it’s expected to at least take the fight to the Mercedes S-Class Coupe, the Lexus LC, and potentially even steal a few sales from more performance oriented machinery like the Jaguar F-Type, or the Porsche 911, or something even more auspicious like the Aston Martin DB11.
With the revival of the 8 Series nameplate, it brings back fond memories of the mid-nineties when BMW’s were venerated vehicles capable of transforming anyone into a driving enthusiast with one left right flick of the absurdly good feeling steering BMW became known for.
The new car is expected to be sporty, it has a Carbon Core mixed-material platform for lightness and stiffness, and the new double-wishbone front axle, and five-link rear suspension with variable electromechanical steering, active roll stabilization (electrically adjustable anti-roll bars), torsion struts, and rear-wheel steering should make it a fair bit sharper than the outgoing 6 Series. There's even a race car version that wins sometimes!
