BMW 8 Series: From the race track to the road
NEW BMW CHAPTER On the sidelines of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, BMW presented the new 8 Series Coupé. What has been tested in racing is now benefiting the fantastically beautiful and luxurious sports coupe. The BMW M8 GTE has been racing on racetracks for more than a year. First for development and testing, and since 2018 also in competition. The return to [...]
The BMW M8 GTE has been racing on racetracks for more than a year. First for development and testing, since 2018 also in competition.
The Munich-based company combined its return to Le Mans, where BMW took overall victory in 1995 (as engine supplier for the McLaren F1 GTR) and 1999 (with its own V12 LMR sports car), with the presentation of the production model developed in parallel.
There is no question that a lot of know-how flowed from one department to the other.
The best in a dream car
The result is a dream car, as the BMW board members themselves call it and praise themselves for it. Visually, it certainly is, and in terms of price, there are certainly plenty of interested parties who want to fulfill this dream and can do so.
The BMW 840d xDrive Coupé will be available in Switzerland for 127,800 Swiss francs from November 28. The M850i xDrive Coupé will cost 160,300.
In return, buyers also get the best BMW has ever had to offer. Be it in terms of driving performance, design, luxury or equipment in the areas of display and operation, driver assistance and networking.
The central objective in the development process was driving dynamics. For this reason, the body, powertrain and chassis were consistently geared to maximum agility, precision and sovereignty of a sports car.
New V8 engine
At the top of the model range is the M850i xDrive Coupé́. This is powered by a newly developed 530 hp V8 engine with a displacement of 4.4 liters and TwinPower Turbo technology from M Performance.
The maximum torque of 750 Nm is available between 1800 and 4600 rpm. According to factory specifications, the sports car weighing almost 1.9 t sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.
The 840d xDrive Coupé́ features a particularly powerful straight-six diesel engine with three liters of displacement, 320 hp and 680 Nm from 1750 rpm.
Power transmission is handled by an enhanced 8-speed Steptronic sports transmission. The all-wheel-drive system has been optimized, with a rear-wheel-drive setup designed to ensure the driving experience typical of BMW sports cars. The differential lock in the rear axle transmission, which is controlled as standard in the M850i xDrive Coupé, supports the sporty characteristics.
Anyone who wants to know more about the new sports coupe from Munich will find comprehensive information about all the details on the homepage of BMW Switzerland under the title THE 8.
