Forget About A V12-Powered BMW 8 Series Once And For All

Despite our disappointment, BMW’s logic makes complete sense.

BMW has already said a V12-powered 8 Series is not in the cards. In other words, the 6.0-liter V12 from the M760Li won’t be transferred to the stunning GT coupe, even though it is technically possible. Why won’t this happen? Australia’s Go Auto recently had a chat with BMW Group vice president of product management Carsten Groeber who provided a perfectly logical explanation for the 8 Series’ V12’s absence.

“V12 is very heavy and we have a very perfect weight distribution with this car. So the package with the V8 with those technologies with the chassis and the drivetrain makes the car a proper sports car. In our opinion a V12 will be too heavy in the front,” said Groeber.

And there you have it. Weight. It has always has been and always will be the enemy, and in this case the V12 would eliminate the big coupe’s perfect weight distribution. Speaking of weight, battery hybrid technology is not exactly feather light, and this begs the question whether an 8 Series hybrid or plug-in hybrid is being considered. Again, no, at least not at the moment. Groeber added that, despite the extra bulk, an 8 Series hybrid or PHEV simply isn’t needed right now.

“Never say never,” he added. “There might be in the years to go. We are a learning company and as the market turns, if we need to do something we will react. But at this point in time, in 2018, the car is perfectly set up, and I think people love to have these cars.”

What Groeber did confirm, however, is that a rear-wheel-drive version will arrive next year. “We will have something in the near future, which is also rear-wheel drive,” he said. “We have M850i with the six-cylinder diesel engine. There will be an sDrive version of it.”

For now, the new BMW 8 Series will come with one but glorious engine: a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. All of that power is sent to all four wheels through an updated eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. Will the upcoming sDrive version offer additional power, or could it be more track-focused? We’ll find out next year.

The 2017 Bentley Flying Spur V8 S Made Us Forget About The W12

Yeah, seriously. We were surprised too.

We’re interested in any car that’s big, bold and brash, and Bentleys, in general, fit that description perfectly. So imagine our delight when we were invited to check out the new 2017 Bentley Flying Spur V8 S. It’s like the "regular" V8 Flying Spur, only more powerful and featuring optimized electronic stability control, a re-calibrated damping system, and a few exterior and interior styling tweaks. Speaking of V8s, the Flying Spur V8 S is powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with 521 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque, with power going to all four wheels through an 8-speed slushbox.

What’s cool about this AWD system is that it has a 40/60 percent power bias to the front/rear wheels. Performance is a blistering fast 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds, and top speed is 190 mph. Yes, in a 5,300-lbs sedan. Now, we previously reviewed the Flying Spur with the batsh-t crazy twin-turbo W12 and its 616 hp and 590 lb-ft of twist output.

Yes, it may hit 60 from a standstill in just 4.3 seconds and maximum speed of 199 mph, but here’s the thing: that sucker is even heavier, tipping what could also be used as an elephant scale at 6,500 lbs. Point being, weight also affects handling, and because of that huge factor alone, we think the new V8 S is the sweet spot in the Flying Spur lineup. You get all of the exuberant luxury of the W12, nearly identical performance numbers, and a better overall driving experience. Special thanks to Los Gatos Luxury Cars for letting us film the car.