BMW’s move to trademark a number of 8-Series related names with the global intellectual property regulators is reigniting rumors of a comeback for the Grand Tourer built from 1989 through 1999.
According to BMW’s application that was discovered by Autoexpress, the Bavarians registered the 825, 830, 835, 850, 845, 860, M8 and M850 names. The magazine reports that a BMW insider told them that the “move was not merely a case of the company ring-fencing the badges for possible future use, and that it reflects an imminent rejig of BMW’s GT line-up”.
By that, the report points to another recent rumor about the next 6-Series shifting into a true performance model with more compact dimensions to rival the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG GT, thus making room for a new Grand Tourer higher up in the range to go after the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and perhaps even Bentley’s Continental GT.
Unlike the original M8 prototype developed in the early ’90s, which used a V12 engine, BMW’s rival for the Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe is believed to use a twin-turbo V8 shared with the next M5, while the V12 mill found in the latest 7-Series could make its way under the hood of the 850/M850 or possibly the 860i/M860i.
Officially, BMW hasn’t confirmed any of this, so of course, it should be taken with a grain of salt until we have more concrete proof.
Note: BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Concept and 8-Series E31 Coupe pictured below
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