History/Overview
In 2019, BMW revived its 8 Series nameplate for an all-new range of coupe and convertible models, including a four-door Gran Coupe. Pricewise, the 8 Series is second only to the 7 Series in the BMW lineup. There’s also a high-performance M8 version that’s covered in a separate buyer’s guide entry.
What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year
This year, the 8 Series gets a lighted grille, and a new infotainment system contained in a larger display.
Available Trims
The 8 Series lineup starts with the M850i, whose 4.4L turbo V8 powers coupe, Gran Coupe, and convertible body styles. There’s also an Alpina B8 Gran Coupe, which gets a more potent version of the same engine. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed transmission are standard in all 8 Series variants.
Standard Features
The M850i comes with 20-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, a power tailgate, lighted grille, adaptive LED headlights, and passive keyless entry. Inside, there’s a digital gauge cluster, a head-up display, Merino leather, heated/power-adjustable front seats, a surround-sound stereo, dual-zone (coupe/convertible) or four-zone (Gran Coupe) climate control, and ambient lighting. Driver safety assists include cruise control with a braking function, and a parking assistant.
The Alpina B8 gets 21-inch wheels.
Key Options
The 8 Series’ premium package adds active cruise control, front cross-traffic alert, evasion assist, lane change assist, steering/lane control, traffic jam assistant, and ventilated front seats.
A dark optics pack adds some dark exterior trim elements, along with laser headlights.
Fuel Economy
As we write this, BMW hasn’t published fuel consumption estimates for the 2023 8 Series. However, those figures should be similar to those for the 2022 model, which start at 13.5/9.3 L/100 km (city/highway) for the M850i coupe; all other 8 Series variants are rated for 13.9/9.6 L/100 km.
Competition
With the 8 Series, BMW competes against the Aston Martin DB11, the Jaguar F-Type, Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, Porsche Panamera, and Audi’s A7/S7/RS7 lineup.
