BMW 8 Series Coupe in final stages of development process

The luxury coupé from BMW

The new BMW M850i xDrive Coupé is in the last stages of development and testing process. This is the first 8 Series Coupe to come with a V8 engine plonked under the bonnet, which is completely redeveloped, according to BMW. The coupé comes with features like four wheel drive, an active rear axle differential lock, the adaptive M suspension professional with active roll stabilisation and Integral Active Steering. The coupe also boasts of a low centre of gravity for better handling characteristics.

A twin turbo V8 under the hood

The twin turbo V8 engine nestled under the hood of the new 8 Series coupe makes 523bhp and 750Nm of maximum torque, available from 1,800rpm. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Power and torque figures are up by 67bhp and 100Nm, but the weight of the engine is the same as compared to its predecessor.  The Integral Active Steering and active roll stability improve the handling further while the electronically controlled dampers aim to provide a comfortable ride. In a bid to keep the handling oriented towards the enthusiasts’ side, BMW says that the 8 Series Coupe comes with a rear wheel focussed setup. The active differential lock in the rear axle transmission provides maximum traction when exiting corners in high speed. The damper settings, four wheel drive system and the Dynamic Stability Control are altered as per the driving mode selected.

Jos Van As, head of suspension application at BMW said, “The new BMW 8 Series Coupé will be available exclusively with mixed tyres. This gave us the possibility when coordinating the suspension control systems to exploit the potential of the wide rear wheels to attain particularly sporty handling characteristics. Also, the higher camber values on all wheels and specifically tuned elastokinematics result in the realisation of exceptionally high cornering speeds prior to the intervention of the electronics. So those who wish can drive on the racing track with active DSC, too.”

BMW has not revealed any technical details of the car as it is still in the final development stages. Expect technical details of the luxury coupe to be revealed later this year, at the time of launch.