BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe Leaked Ahead of Official Debut

In case you weren’t sure if BMW was going to fill the gaping hole left in its lineup by the departure of the 6 Series Gran Coupe, early official photos have confirmed that it will. Recently leaked photos of the 8 Series Gran Coupe were confirmed by BMW to Car and Driver to be real and valid, coming ahead of the official unveiling on June 18th.

With a sleek, sloping roofline that leads to a duckbill lip on the decklid, the M850i xDrive Gran Coupe combines all of the low-slung presence of the Coupe with the practicality of 4-doors. The upward kick of the tail of the GC is much more aggressive than what is found on the Coupe. This could be form following function in order to maintain rear stability in this longer-roofed variant.

I have to say that I like this much better than the continuous downward slope on the rears of the Audi S7, Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4-door Coupe, or Porsche Panamera models.

Effectively replacing the 6 Series Gran Coupe in the lineup, the 8 Series GC will move further upscale to reside beside the M850i xDrive Coupe, which starts at $111,900. They will both feature a 523-hp twin-turbocharged V8 and all-wheel drive.

The last remaining 6 Series that is available is the $70,300 640i xDrive Gran Turismo — because people actually buy them, apparently. So, unless BMW rolls out lesser variants of the 8 Series than the M850i models, it may not be the same 6 Series buyer that makes the stretch to the 8.

Hopefully buyers will actually option their cars with 2-tone interiors, like the one shown here. Monotone black interiors are just too boring for cars that should otherwise be engaging to drive and own. The rear seat backs take on a cool cobra look that would be lost in a monotone finish.

With the M8 Coupe looming, it is a foregone conclusion that an M8 Gran Coupe will follow. It is expected to pack the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 of the M5, providing 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque to all 4 wheels, while retaining the selectable rear-wheel drive mode.

[Images: BMW via carbuyer.com.sg]