BMW's 8-Series road car hits the test track in Aprilia, Italy
Heavily camouflaged 8-series are hitting the BMW test track in Aprilia, Italy, to make sure they have all the right moves.
When BMW debuted the original E31 8-series in 1989, it was envisioned as a halo car for the brand. It was technologically advanced, powerful and beautiful to look at, but it wasn't designed as a sports car, it was a grand tourer. BMW might be bucking that grand touring tradition just a bit for the new 8-series, which is set to debut this year, because it's already flogging camouflaged cars around the track in Aprilia, Italy.
Modern BMWs have to be everything to everyone, and because of that, the 8 will be expected to crush continents in comfort and then set Nurburgring lap times before lunch, all while returning respectable fuel economy. This mindset has led to some uninspired cars from the Bavarian brand in the last few years, but the G14 8-series doesn't look as though it will suffer that fate."The test drives under the most severe conditions show that we are right on target with our concept for the new BMW 8 Series Coupe. The vehicle dynamics values already achieved are absolutely impressive. Our customers and fans can look forward to a genuine sports car," said Klaus Fröhlich, member of the board of the BMW AG, Development and Research, who oversees the test program in Italy, in a statement.
When the Concept 8 Series made its public debut in 2017 at Villa d'Este, it wowed the crowds with its aggressive styling and powerful V8 drivetrain, and it seems as though BMW is carrying much of the concept's charm to the production car though with possible additional engine choices in the form of a twin-turbo inline six or V12.
In addition to the road car seeing track time, the racing version of the 8-series dubbed the M8 GTE will be making its world debut at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this weekend. The M8 GTE replaces the M6 GT3/GTLM and somehow manages to look even more menacing. We're excited to see how competitive it is out of the gate, given how long it took its predecessor to start winning races.
