The M5 Competition develops 625 PS and 750 Nm from 1,800 to 5,800 rpm from 4.4 liters of displacement, eight cylinders, and two turbochargers. We’re expecting the M8 Competition to be closer to 650 PS, and M xDrive with rear-wheel-drive mode is a given. Speaking of which, BMW will utilize the ZF 8HP for the performance-oriented model.
“When will we see the 8 Series Gran Coupe at dealerships?” Over in Europe, the launch is set for September 2019 for the 2020 model year. This means the U.S. will receive the G16 in the earliest part of 2020, and like the two other body styles of the 8 Series, look forward to six- and eight-cylinder options.
A rear-wheel-drive diesel is most likely the entry-level option in Europe, either the 840d or 830d with the B57 inline-six engine. The more powerful derivative is good for 320 PS and 680 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 2,250 rpm, translating to 4.9 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) in the case of the two-door coupe.
BMW ruled out the 8 Series with a V12, thus denying the heritage of the original. A plug-in hybrid is also unlikely, but nothing is set in stone for the time being. The 8 Series PHEV wouldn’t be hard to develop if you remember the CLuster ARchitecture is shared with everything from the X3 to the X7 and 3 Series to 7 Series, models with plug-in hybrid options.
