The debut of the 2019 BMW 8 Series coupe will take place on June 15 at Le Mans to emphasize the close connection of the coupe with the GTE racing car.
BMW will finally unveil the 8th series coupe that the automotive world has been waiting for since the original model was completed in 1999. Today’s information confirms the April rumors that were based on the bulletin sent by the company to its sales representatives on the plan to make the car ready for the production during the endurance race.
A new teaser image shows the road-going BMW 8 Series Coupe in a shadowy background sitting next to the track-only M8 GTE. The 6 Series Coupe direct replacement has been developed parallel to the race car, which we will get to see in action during the grueling 24-hour race at the famous Circuit de la Sarthe for the 86th edition of the racing marathon.
Do not expect to see the M8 on the day of the debut, but the good news is BMW will unveil the next best thing: the M850i xDrive. It might just be the car depicted in the adjacent teaser image, a high-spec version of the 8 Series already confirmed to feature a “completely redeveloped” V8 engine with 523 horsepower (390 kilowatts) and 553 pound-feet (750 Newton-meters) of torque. As the name of the model implies, it will feature all-wheel drive with power channeled to the road through a revised eight-speed automatic promising to deliver quicker gear shifts.
BMW continues to point out that the M850i xDrive will ride on 20-inch alloy wheels light alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires. Other technical details include the adaptive M suspension (with active stabilizers) and the differential lock rear axle.
For those, who prefer to wait patiently for the M8, BMW has promised that it will unveil the M8 of the range later in 2018. The best scenario – we’ll see the M8 at the Paris Motor Show in October. Convertible 8-series also stands on the agenda. Later, we’ll also see an 8-Series Convertible and Gran Coupe sedan.
This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans represents the second round of the 2018/2019 World Endurance Championship, which is currently led by Toyota in the premier LMP1 class and Porsche in the GTE Pro class for production-based cars and professional drivers. BMW, which also competes in the GTE Pro class, is ranked fourth.
