BMW Is Returning to the Luxury Super Coupe Game With This Stunning 8 Series Concept

The ’90s classic is coming back.

BMW aims to revive the 8 Series, the nameplate of the brand’s maximum luxury coupe that ran from 1989 through 1999, with a gorgeous new concept car forecasting the eventual production model’s styling.

As a styling concept, this new 8 Series debuted with no technical details provided. But we can see that BMW takes seriously the challenge of reinterpreting the original car’s futuristic wedgy lines in a contemporary way.

 “The design of the BMW Concept 8 Series provides a fresh interpretation of iconic BMW styling cues,” explained senior vice president for BMW Group design Adrian van Hooydonk. “And it also showcases a new approach to the use of forms which is reflected particularly prominently in the car’s surfacing.”

“A handful of crisp lines mark out clear surfaces, and the car’s volumes are powerfully sculpted,” he continued. “Together, these elements make a forceful statement and create a model brimming with character. In short, this is a driver’s car.”

Inside, the concept examines the contrasts between dynamic flair and luxury, with exclusive slim-line carbon fiber sports seats wrapped in the finest leather. It is the same with the steering wheel which features hand polished aluminum spokes and red-anodized shift paddles.

The original 1989 8 Series employed V12 engine power for maximum prestige, though an 8-cylinder version followed later. This history suggests that we can expect the car to borrow powertrains from today’s flagship 7 Series sedan, as it did then.

The new production model is slated to arrive in 2018 following a nearly 20-year hiatus from showrooms.