BMW has announced the launch of the new 8-Series in 2018 at its annual general meeting in Munich, bringing the fabled nameplate back, as part of its new strategy focusing on higher-margin sports cars.
“We are refreshing our entire product portfolio and strengthening the performance side. Our strategy will focus on the luxury segment, where there are margins to be earned,” Krueger said.
The new BMW 8-Series will be based on the same modular CLAR architecture that underpins models like the 7- and 5-Series and plans to be positioned under the Rolls Royce Wraith in the Group’s range of models, in the “150k euros-plus” range (around $165,000), according to a report from AutoNews.
The two-door coupe will hit the market in 2018, with a convertible version to arrive a year later. BMW still hasn’t decided if there’s going to be a fully-fledged M8 version yet, but a range-topping V12 model is definitely coming.
Harald Krueger also gave an official timeline for other new models, including the i8 Roadster set for 2018, Mini’s first pure electric model slated for 2019, an all-electric X3 in 2020 and BMW’s iNext production model coming in 2021.
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