The third body that embodies the new BMW 8 Series is a four-door coupe-style. Let’s discover its secrets. Luxury sedans have always had, have, and will have, a priority over any other: to have extremely comfortable and spacious rear seats. Now, there is currently a subsegment among these luxury sedans in which other aspects prevail, such as design and dynamic capabilities. An example is that of the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, known internally as the G16 and posthumous replacement for the old 6 Series Gran Coupé.
The 8 Series Gran Coupé derives directly from its Coupé version and is therefore based on a specific version of BMW’s CLAR platform. The body, with a captivating design and muscular shapes, measures 5.08 meters in length and only 1.40 m in height. Therefore, it is 23 cm longer than the 8 Series Coupé and 6 cm taller.
Also, the wheelbase grows 20 cm compared to that of the Coupé to 3.02 meters, and consequently, the legroom of the rear occupants is significantly greater. Now, logically, as happens in some of its rivals such as the Porsche Panamera, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4p, or the Audi A7, the height available in the rear seats, as well as the access to them and the boot, they are the less brilliant sections. In the particular case of the 8 Series Gran Coupé, the rear occupants of more than 1.82 meters in height may not be entirely comfortable and, apart from that, the central seat is not very useful due to the bulky center console.
As for the trunk, it offers 440 liters of capacity and somewhat irregular shapes. At least the seatbacks can be folded into three separate parts if at any time you need to expand the cargo space. However, the level of finishes in the interior is very high, both in terms of materials and adjustments, appearance and sensation to the touch. Plus, the seats are great for body support and comfort, and the buttons and knobs are more intuitively positioned than on their rivals.
All of this is complemented by the 12.3 “virtual cockpit and the 10.25” central screen, both with excellent resolution. Also, the BMW 7.0 operating system with an intelligent personal assistant is included as standard, with which you can communicate by voice.
Regarding its mechanical range, this is identical to that of the 8 Series Coupé. That is, there is an 840i with a 340 hp gasoline engine, an M850i with 530 hp V8 mechanics, and a 320 hp 840d diesel. All have an eight-speed Steptronic transmission and all-wheel drive, except the 840i that is offered with propulsion to the rear axle or total, the latter for a surcharge of 4,000 euros.
The version that we have tested in the product presentation of this new model is the cheapest in the range, equipped with a 3.0 supercharged 340 hp engine and rear drive. On the one hand, its engine pushes with great force at any speed, it sounds wonderful and its consumption is quite reasonable: about 10.0 L / 100 km real. On the other hand, it has a self-locking differential as standard, which provides it with sporty behavior and excellent motor skills. Adaptive suspension is also standard and allows the stiffness of the shock absorbers to be adjusted to suit the driver.
In short, the 8 Series Gran Coupé is to be valued as a four-door coupe. After all, it is built on the 8 Series Coupé, and in that it stands out from its rivals because, for example, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door is not based on the AMG GT Coupé, but another saloon such as the CLS. Obviously, for someone looking to use the rear seats regularly, they have a better option in the BMW 7 Series or even the 5 Series. However, the 8 Series Gran Coupé retains the dynamic qualities of a gran Turismo coupé but in a four-door format, and that makes it a very special car.
