- the bmw 8-series gran coupe is a four-door-coupe version of the two-door 8-series, which can come as a coupe or convertible.
- the gran coupe will be available with a choice of two engines, a 335-hp six-cylinder or a 523-hp twin-turbo v-8.
- the gran coupe will go on sale in september 2019 and start at $85,895.
the 8-series coupe and convertible sit high atop bmw's car lineup with their $112,895 starting price, 523-hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter v-8 engine, and swanky interior. but the 8's two-door setup left a little something to be desired, so bmw has created the 8-series gran coupe. it's a longer version of the 8-series with five seats (although we'd protest having to sit in a second-row, middle-seat berth), a new-to-8-series inline-six, and an m sport model with the same brutish v-8 that powers the two-door m850i, currently the only 8-series available for purchase (a full-bore m8 gran coupe is forthcoming).
the gran coupe shares the basics of its exterior design with its progenitor, but the cabin is longer and taller compared to the small cockpit in the two-door models. the 8gc's wheelbase is 7.9 inches longer and the car itself will be 9.0 inches longer, 1.2 inches wider, and 2.2 inches taller compared with the 8-series classic. eighteen-inch wheels are standard with the 840i, but that model can come with 19- or 20-inch wheels, too. the m850i comes standard with 20s but can be fitted with 19s for a more comfortable ride. a panoramic moonroof is standard and incorporates the antenna, so there's no shark fin to spoil the gran coupe's silhouette. starting this fall, the m850i gran coupe will also be available with an optional carbon-fiber roof.
photos of the 8-series gran coupe reveal a cabin appropriately luxurious to its asking price. leather interior trim is standard, and can come in black, ivory, or cognac in the 840i. in addition to the standard leather choices, buyers can choose a two-tone leather interior that mixes either blue, red, or brown with black. the longer, taller exterior means more space for passengers inside, where there is 3.4 inches more rear headroom and 7.1 inches more rear legroom than in the standard 8-series. the trunk is 0.7 cubic feet larger, too.
the introduction of the gran coupe marks the first use of bmw's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six in the 8-series family in the u.s., which had previously been limited to a single v-8 powertrain. bmw says the engine will go in 840i and 840i xdrive models and will make 335 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. bmw estimates a 4.9-second zero-to-60 mph time in rear-wheel drive 840i and thinks the car can go 0.3 second faster with the added traction of the optional all-wheel-drive system.
bmw's 523-hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter v-8 will be available in the m850i trim, which comes standard with all-wheel drive. we clocked a 2019 m850i xdrive coupe at 3.3 seconds to 60 mph and 11.5 seconds through the quarter-mile. no word yet on how much the gran coupe weighs, but bmw is estimating a still-blistering 3.7-second zero-to-60-mph time. both engines pair with the same eight-speed automatic transmission, and every gran coupe will come standard with paddle shifters.
forward-collision warning and low-speed automated emergency braking are standard, and a full suite of driver-assistance systems including adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring is available. a large head-up display is also standard and can display speed limits and warn of no-passing zones in addition to details like vehicle speed and navigation instructions. the gran coupe uses bmw's idrive 7 infotainment system displayed across a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 10.3-inch center screen.
the 8-series gran coupe will go on sale as a 2020 model in september 2019. rear-wheel-drive 840i models will start at $85,895. all-wheel-drive six-cylinder gran coupes will cost $88,795. m850i variants will go for $109,895.