The all-new BMW 8 Series has been launched in India and in two body styles: four-door Gran Coupé and high-performance M8 Coupé.
The BMW 8 Series will be offered in India for the very first time. There were 8 Series models offered internationally earlier. The first-generation E31 was offered in several guises in the 1990s with the smallest engine being a 4.0-litre V8; a notable model was the 850 CSi. The new, second-generation model, the G15, is a proper successor 30 years later.
First, the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé. The four-door grand tourer is offered in Europe with a selection of powertrains, including two six-cylinder turbo-diesels: the 265-hp 830d and the 320-hp 840d, as well as 340-hp six-cylinder turbo-petrol 840i and a full-on 530-hp V8 turbo-petrol M850i. We get the 840i, with its 3.0-litre straight-six making 340 hp at 5,000-6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 500 Nm between 1,600 and 4,500 rpm, funneled by an eight-speed automatic to the rear wheels via an M Sport differential. Two versions have been launched: 840i Gran Coupé at Rs 1.30 crore and the 840i M Sport at Rs 1.55 crore, both ex-showroom.
Also read: BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé Revealed
Second, the M8 Coupé. There’s no doubt here because there is only one, and it’s unabashedly sports car with a sleek two-door design and aggressive front face, thanks to it being designed as a race car that evolved into road car form. Behind that mean kidney-grille sits a 4.4-litre TwinPower Turbo V8 engine. It packs two twin-scroll turbochargers, a high-pressure direct injection system and a full 600 hp and 750 Nm. The M8 Coupé is priced at Rs 2.15 crore (ex-showroom).
The M8 Coupé measures 4,867 mm long, 1,907 mm wide and 1,362 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,827 mm. With its lightweight construction infusing Carbon Core technology, with carbon-fibre chassis elements used in critical areas, it weighs in at 1,885 kg. That makes for a healthy power-to-weight ratio of 318 hp/tonne, and makes it capable of doing the 0-100-km/h dash in 3.3 seconds!
Also read: BMW M8 Revealed
There is also the pinnacle of the BMW 8 Series range, the M8 Competition Coupé, with a higher 625-hp output and lower 1,865-kg weight.
BMW India now offer a contact-less experience with interactions possible online or over the phone.
