BMW’s big kidney grille won’t get transferred to the facelifted 8 Series Gran Coupe. Our second look at the swoopy four-door shows a saloon with its nose and rear covered in camouflage, though the company can’t hide the mild styling changes it’s making underneath. The latest batch of spy shots reveals little of what BMW will do with the design, though we can tell it’ll keep the smaller grille opening that’s on the current 8 Series.
The 8 Series Gran Coupe sports the same camouflage coverings as the two-door version spied earlier this month. We expect both will receive the same styling tweaks, which likely means a new grille shape, redesigned headlights, and a revised front and rear bumper. It’s difficult to determine if the headlights are narrower on the test vehicle compared to the ones on the current production car, though they should, at a minimum, get some sort of styling tweak.
Gallery: BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe New Spy Photos
There could be changes under the bonnet, too. It’s unclear if BMW will carry over the current crop of engines unchanged, which includes six-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, or if it’ll electrify them. BMW could add mild-hybrid technology across the lineup, which could improve efficiency and performance. The twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 already produces 523 bhp (390 kilowatts) in the M850i, though that increases to 617 bhp (460 kW) in the might M8 Gran Coupe.
Check out the other 8 Series spy shots:
Inside, BMW is unlikely to make any significant changes, though the automaker could rejigger its trim and equipment configurations while providing the latest infotainment system. BMW isn’t expected to reveal the updated 8 Series Gran Coupe – nor the rest of the facelifted lineup – until sometime early next year. This would likely make the reworked 8 Series a 2023 model. The design changes are expected to proliferate across the entire 8 Series lineup.
Source: Automedia