The BMW 8 Series family is now complete, as the automaker began production of the M8 Gran Coupe earlier this month in Dingolfing, Germany.
This happened only days before the model’s world debut at the LA Auto Show this week. The M8 Gran Coupe is the sixth and final model variant of the 8 Series lineup, following the M8 Coupe, M8 Convertible, 8 Series Coupe, 8 Series Convertible and 8 Series Gran Coupe.
The Dingolfing facility builds up to 60 units of the BMW M8 model family per day, and the four-door M8 is expected to become the best-selling M8 variant, as it accounts for well over 40 percent of the plant’s daily M8 volume. Following their debut at the 2019 LA Auto Show, the BMW M8 Gran Coupe and M8 Competition Gran Coupe will hit dealerships worldwide in January 2020.
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BMW has also announced a limited edition of 400 units will be available from April 2020. The M8 Gran Coupe First Edition will feature the BMW Individual Aurora Diamond Green metallic special paint finish, BMW Iconic Laser lights in vibrant yellow, gold bronze accents and rims in Y-spoke design – a combination that harkens back to the Concept M8 Gran Coupe from 2018.
The M8 Gran Coupe features a 200 mm (7.9 in) longer wheelbase compared to the two-door model variants, leading to “significantly improved room comfort on two full-sized seats in the rear”, according to the German automaker.
The model is powered by the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 delivering 600 PS (591 HP) in the “standard” model and 625 PS (617 HP) in the Competition. In both cases, the peak torque is identical, at 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) between 1,800 – 5,600 rpm.
All this mechanical muscle is transformed into exhilarating acceleration via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission connected to a standard M xDrive AWD system with a 2WD mode. The 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint takes 3.2 seconds in the M8 Competition Gran Coupe and 3.3 seconds in the regular model.