First BMW 8 Series Convertible Rolls Off The Assembly Line

BMW only lifted the wraps off the new 8 Series Convertible last week.

Just last week, BMW lifted the wraps off the first-ever 8 Series Convertible. Now, four months after the 8 Series Coupe started production, the first example has already rolled off the production line at BMW’s factory in Dingolfing, Germany, where around 1,600 cars are produced every day from the BMW 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Series ranges. The BMW 8 Series Convertible will be built alongside the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series on a single assembly line. It features a fully-electric soft-top roof that takes 15 seconds to raise or lower at speeds up to 30 mph.

The 8 Series Coupe and Convertible models being assembled in BMW's provided photos are the 840d variants equipped with an inline-six turbodiesel engine. Convertible models often look worse than their hard-top counterparts, but the 8 Series Coupe and Convertible both look stunning side-by-side.

In the 840d, the 3.0-liter diesel unit sends 320 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque mated to BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system through an eight-speed Steptronic gearbox. US customers will get the M850i xDrive variant, which is powered by an upgraded twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8. The V8 unit delivers 530 hp and 553 lb-ft to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic.

The Dingolfing facility is one of BMW’s 30 global production sites. Last year, 376,000 cars rolled off the assembly lines at the plant. To prepare the factory for the new 8 Series, BMW had to invest a “total amount in the low three-digit-million-euro range.” A “large number of digital innovations” were also integrated into the production process, including self-driving transport systems and smart devices.

Final European-Spec BMW M3 F80 Rolls Off The Production Line

Nearly time to make room for its successor.

All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, but it can also be the time of a new beginning. This is precisely the case for the BMW M3 F80 generation. The all-new G20 3 Series debuted last September at Paris and that means the next M3 is about a year or so way. While US market F80 M3 production remains ongoing for now, European production has come to an end, and the M3 you're looking at it is the last one.

It was purchased by German entrepreneur Bjorn Schmidt and, naturally, he worked with BMW M and the Individual program to create a truly one-of-a-kind sedan.

It features an exclusive Frozen Dark Grey metallic paint job on the outside, and inside is a unique bi-color leather interior decked out in Mugello Red (specifically chosen by Schmidt) and stunning Piano Finish Black trim, which includes Schmidt’s signature.

“The BMW M3 has always been an all-rounder for me, combining everyday life, holidays, work and family, racetrack and city traffic with sporty driving pleasure,” Schmidt says. The M3 also reminds me every time of my childhood dream and I can appreciate it even more to drive today such a fascinating car.” Why the dark grey and red color combo?

Well, because since BMW M already decided its final Euro-spec F80 M3 would be Frozen Dark Grey Metallic, “it was also clear that the interior must be made in red on the lines of my old E92 (space gray/ red). Dark gray and red is a classic color combination,” Schmidt added.

Other features on this M3 include the Competition Package, which features a standard carbon fiber roof, and a six-speed manual transmission instead of the dual-clutch. And speaking of which, it still remains a bit of a mystery whether or not BMW M will offer a clutch pedal with the upcoming G80 M3.

The most recent report we’ve heard is that engineers are in a bit of a bind because, on the one hand, they’d like to use the M5’s all-wheel drive system, but that system isn’t engineered for a manual. The solution could be to offer a more purist G80 M3 variant sans the AWD system. We’ll likely have an answer later next year prior to the G80 M3’s expected debut at Frankfurt in September.

Final European-Spec BMW M3 F80 Rolls Off The Production Line

Nearly time to make room for its successor.

All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, but it can also be the time of a new beginning. This is precisely the case for the BMW M3 F80 generation. The all-new G20 3 Series debuted last September at Paris and that means the next M3 is about a year or so way. While US market F80 M3 production remains ongoing for now, European production has come to an end, and the M3 you're looking at it is the last one.

It was purchased by German entrepreneur Bjorn Schmidt and, naturally, he worked with BMW M and the Individual program to create a truly one-of-a-kind sedan.

It features an exclusive Frozen Dark Grey metallic paint job on the outside, and inside is a unique bi-color leather interior decked out in Mugello Red (specifically chosen by Schmidt) and stunning Piano Finish Black trim, which includes Schmidt’s signature.

“The BMW M3 has always been an all-rounder for me, combining everyday life, holidays, work and family, racetrack and city traffic with sporty driving pleasure,” Schmidt says. The M3 also reminds me every time of my childhood dream and I can appreciate it even more to drive today such a fascinating car.” Why the dark grey and red color combo?

Well, because since BMW M already decided its final Euro-spec F80 M3 would be Frozen Dark Grey Metallic, “it was also clear that the interior must be made in red on the lines of my old E92 (space gray/ red). Dark gray and red is a classic color combination,” Schmidt added.

Other features on this M3 include the Competition Package, which features a standard carbon fiber roof, and a six-speed manual transmission instead of the dual-clutch. And speaking of which, it still remains a bit of a mystery whether or not BMW M will offer a clutch pedal with the upcoming G80 M3.

The most recent report we’ve heard is that engineers are in a bit of a bind because, on the one hand, they’d like to use the M5’s all-wheel drive system, but that system isn’t engineered for a manual. The solution could be to offer a more purist G80 M3 variant sans the AWD system. We’ll likely have an answer later next year prior to the G80 M3’s expected debut at Frankfurt in September.