There’s an ebb and flow to
rumors in the auto industry. We’ll hear a rumor or report, then nothing for months, only for the story to pop back up again with a fresh head of steam. This time around, it’s the
BMW 8 Series, a car we haven’t reported on since February, when we said it’d be back in 2020.
Today’s news is that BMW has filed trademark applications for a series of numbers related to the new model – 825, 830, 835, 850, 845, and 860 – along with an M850 and an M8. It was uncovered by
AutoExpress, which adds additional depth to the story. Much like the 7 Series dukes it out with the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan, the new 8er will take the fight to the
S-Class Coupe. Even in Europe, where automakers like
Mercedes offer a far wider array of powertrain options, the S-Class Coupe is only available in six-cylinder S400, eight-cylinder S500 (what we call the S550) and S63
AMG, and twelve-cylinder S65 AMG trims. If BMW uses all the numbers it’s sitting on, the 8 would have a far broader spread of powertrain options, three of which – 825, 830, and 835 – could undercut even the base S400. But as
AutoExpress explains, these trademarks obscure a bigger shift in how
BMW will build and market its luxury coupes.
Under the new strategy, BMW would move the
6 Series away from its role as a larger grand tourer, leaving space for the 8. The 6er would then be repositioned to challenge the Mercedes-AMG GT and
Porsche 911. According to
AE, BMW has been content to let the 911 do its thing, but the success of the
AMG GT is forcing its hand. That means a lighter, hotter, and two-seater 6 Series. We like.
Of course, 8 Series rumors have been floating around since the last one, the E31, went out of production. That means we’ll continue to advise caution here, even though everything laid out by
AutoExpress makes lots and lots of sense.
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