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BMW has begun production of the new 8 Series Coupé in its Dingolfing factory in Germany, which means that the first passenger cars are on their way to reach British roads in November
A BMW spokesman tells Coach that the first cars roll the production lines will be demonstrators and press vehicles. They will be followed by examples of customers, built in one of two available launch specifications, M850i xDrive and 840d xDrive, which cost £ 100,045 and £ 76,270 respectively. [19659002] The new two-door will offer Porsche 911 performance with the luxury of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class according to [19659004] world director of BMW products Sarah Lessmann. She said during the public debut of the car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month that the goal was to "define how a sports car should be," adding, "Everyone in the project had the vision of BMW to return to sports cars, "
The high-end performance model, which revives the 8 Series nameplate in 1999, was also designed to give BMW a boost in the The importance of this model is that BMW has invested heavily in the Dingolfing site to equip it with robotic manufacturing machines and autonomous transport systems
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At launch, the M850i xDrive is equipped with a V8 gasoline engine of 4, 4 liters developing 523 hp and offering a torque of 554lb available between 1800rpm and 4600rpm. Do not reach 0-62 mph in 3.7sec, with a top speed limited to 155 mph.
The V8 engine has been reworked extensively, including new twin-scroll turbochargers, increasing the horsepower by 67 hp from previous versions.
The launch model, the 840d xDrive, is powered by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder developing 316 hp and 501 lb-ft, with a 0 to 62 mph time of 4.9 seconds.
Both models use an eight-speed gearbox. with the gear ratios increased to increase the sporting performance. The 8 Series is also equipped with the xDrive all-wheel drive system, with a rear configuration that transmits all power to the rear wheels as standard
Q & A: Sarah Lessmann , BMW believes that the performance objective of the Series 8 can fill a gap in the market of luxury sports cars between models such as the S-Class and the Porsche 911.
"We have a wide range of competitors, comparing Series 8 to one is not enough, "said Lessmann.
" There is a big gap [between the S-Class Coupé and the 911] and we decided that Series 8 should not be in the middle of those "It takes the best of everything and defines its own gap." In terms of performance, we are close to the 911, but we also offer elegant and luxurious materials to match the best of the S-Class. "[19659002] 
While the new car rem places the 6 Series Gran Coupe as the only two-door coupe in the BMW range, Lessmann insists that it is neither the successor of this model nor a coupe version of the Series 7, with which he shares platform architecture elements (and will be built at Dingolfing plant). She said: "The 6 Series was a derivation of the 5 Series, but here we have a stand-alone car, in terms of design, performance and components."
"We could start from scratch to define how a sports car should be."
The 8 Series was launched at Le Mans to recognize that it was developed in conjunction with the future race car endurance M8 and M8 GTE.
The road car suspension front wishbone and five-armed rear axle. The M850i has been developed as an integrated package. Mr. Lessmann said: "We decided to opt for a special configuration, so that customers will find their car perfectly suited.There is no choice for chassis components;
This configuration was built around custom Bridgestone tires (245/35 R20 at the front, 275/30 R20 at the rear), which are mounted on 20-inch wheels. 39; variable damping control, active suspension M with electronically controlled dampers and a new version of BMW's xDrive system that includes adaptive power steering and full active steering as well a limited slip differential The model is fitted with 395mm M sport brakes
Lessmann noted that the M Sport exhaust system and the V8 engine ensured that the M850i offered a "true sporting sound experience" She added: "You n & # 3 9, not only have the driving experience of a sports car, but the real sound of the V8 engine. There is no sound generator. it's pure.
The 840d is equipped as standard with 18-inch wheels, with 19 and 20-inch wheels available as an option, as part of the M Sport and M Technic Sport packs. Driver assistance, including active cruise control, is offered as standard, and features such as Lane Keeping Assist are optional as part of the Driving Assistant Professional Package.
The Series 8 measures 4843 mm long with a wheelbase of 2822 mm, 1902 mm wide and 1341 mm high The boot has a capacity of 420 liters.The model adopts BMW's new design language for its sports cars that aims to to bring a more modern and "emotional" look.Lessmann claimed that certain design elements were borrowed from 1970s sports cars.
The new design includes a bolder, renewed, renewed grille with a single surround and hexago pattern and the finest headlights available on all BMW models. These are matched by thin LED taillights, which feed a spoiler and two sets of exhaust pipes. The car deliberately has muscular flanks and a "double bubble" dip in the roof (available in optional carbon fiber), designed to recall a detail of classic racing cars. Large front and rear spoilers improve grip and performance.
Inside, the 8 Series features custom-made seats, a 12.3-inch instrument screen and a touch-screen Central 10.25 ". The BMW head-up display. The control system can be controlled via the touch screen, voice control, gesture control or iDrive controller, as well as the standard leather steering wheel buttons.
The clean interior design includes downward sloping controls. driver. This focus is "very important for a sports car," Lessmann said. In order to emphasize the top quality of the car, leather is standard on the dashboard and doors, and options include a diamond cut glass gear selector and other controls.
BMW has not yet confirmed the additional engine options is considered to be under study.
Lessmann reported that the company was still "discussing" future variants of the 8 Series. A M8 Gran Coupé concept was presented at the Geneva Motor Show this year, in anticipation of the future. a future four-door coupe likely to be launched late next year, while a convertible version is also scheduled to be presented. The latter was tested in public
BMW 8 Series: same name, different mission:
The new 8 Series is the second generation of BMW to use the nameplate.
First, produced from 1989 to 1999, was also a two-door coupe-range aimed at the high-end market, but BMW says it's where the similarities end.
The original 8 Series featured state-of-the-art technology, including traction control and speed-sensitive power steering, with the top 850i model powered by a 5.6-liter V12 engine (the entry-level cars introduced a V8). BMW 1965 has sold only a little over 30,000 models during its lifetime. "The old 8 Series was less a sports car than a technological showcase for presenting everything BMW could do at the time," said Lessmann
Rather than connecting the car to the original Series 8, Lessmann explained that the decision to relaunch the nameplate was linked to other recent models. She said: "In the history of BMW, the & # 39; 8 & # 39; was always for special projects.We had the 8 series, the Z8 and the i8.
" The 8 series is the perfect name for a car that is something new and that is remarkable in the rest of our portfolio. "
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