Speaking at the company’s annual meeting in Munich, BMW AG Chairman Harald Krüger announced the automaker will add a new range-topping 8 Series Coupe to the lineup. The new luxury 2-door will be previewed later this month as a design study unveiled at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on May 26.
Also: Class of 2018: The New and Redesigned Cars, Trucks and SUVs
“The BMW 8 Series Coupe will build on our tradition of luxurious sports coupes and add a genuine dream car to our line-up–a slice of pure automotive fascination,” noted Krüger. “The 8 Series Coupe will underpin our claim to leadership in the luxury segment. I can tell you today that this will be a true luxury sports coupe.”
Upscale move
Krüger indicated the decision to move significantly upscale with the new 8 Series was part of a strategic shift by BMW AG from smaller models “to focus on the luxury segment where there are high margins to be earned.” Slotting between the 7 Series sedan and the Rolls Royce Wraith, this new 2-door will be positioned well above the automaker’s original 8 Series, a 2+2 GT Coupe produced between 1989-1999.
Also: Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards of 2017
Few additional details accompanied the single teaser image of the sleek concept that will appear at the upcoming Lake Como event, although the production version of the new 8 Series Coupe is expected to be based around a version of the platform that underpins the current 7 Series. Convertible and M8 variants also seem highly likely to join the family at some point in the future. While the new BMW 8 Series Coupe will go on sale in Europe next year, trade journal Automotive News has indicated the car will likely arrive here sometime in 2019 as a 2020 model.
More BMW News:
2017 BMW 5 Series Sedan: Leaner, cleaner, smarter, safer
