Similar to the 7 Series, the CLuster ARchitecture-based 8 Series in all configurations is outfitted with the ZF 8HP automatic transmission that BMW utilizes for a long, long time now. The M8 will leverage the M xDrive from the M5, which means the 8 Series can be set up to send 100 percent of the engine’s resources to the rear axle.
“Some things in life are worth waiting for,” says BMW Deutschland in regard to the Gran Coupe, and we’re failing to see the point of this guarantee considering the 8 Series is nothing more than what the Bavarians used to call 6 Series. Adding insult to injury, BMW also uses CLAR in models as lowly as the 3 Series.
It’s also worth remembering the original 8 Series was offered with a V12 whereas the second coming can’t do better than the S63. The twin-turbo V8 dates back to 2010, and it can trace its roots back to the N63 from 2008.
On the suck-squeeze-bang-blow front, a recent report suggests the 7 Series could do without the V8 and V12 for the next generation of the full-size luxury sedan. That would be a 180-degree change for BMW, the automaker responsible for the high-revving V12 in the McLaren F1.
Turning our attention back to the 8 Series Gran Coupe, the G16 will premiere between June 25th and 27th at the #NextGen event in Munich. Sales, on the other hand, are expected to begin in September 2019.
