U Spy 2019 BMW 8-Series Prototype In South Africa

BMW is still putting the final touches on the 8-Series, taking near-production prototypes pretty much everywhere for testing.

Our dear reader Reynold spotted this test car parked at a gas station in Heidelberg, Western Cape in South Africa.

The prototype looks exactly like the one in BMW’s official set of images released at the end of last month. The only difference is that instead of orange, this one is painted black underneath the camouflage wrap.

Given that the actual car has already been leaked in its full production guise, the time for the all-new BMW 8-Series official reveal is near, probably at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show or even sooner. BMW has also teased a new concept for the same show, which allegedly is the M8 Concept.

The new BMW 8-Series will mark the return of the brand into the big luxury league and will be positioned against models like the S-Class Coupe and the Bentley Continental GT. The new BMW will share its underpinnings with the existing 7-Series, as well as most of the powertrains and advanced technologies, including the semi-autonomous systems.

The upcoming M8 will likely borrow the powertrain from the current M5, meaning a biturbo 4.4-liter V8 with over 600hp strapped to a configurable all-wheel drive system.

The interior design of the new 8-Series will be fresh and bespoke to the new flagship model and most likely debut new features, along with high-res digital displays, expensive new materials and trims.

H/T To Reynold for the picture!