2018 BMW 8 Series - reader test team review
How does the 6 Series’ successor compare with its grand touring rivals?...
BMW describes its new range-topping model, the 8 Series, as a luxury sports car. It has backed that up by offering it with a 533bhp petrol V8 engine while lining it with fine leather and the latest tech, including the new version of its iDrive infotainment system on a 10.3in touchscreen.
But while the £100k M850i model is nearly as powerful as the Porsche 911 Turbo, it’s much larger, at 4.8 metres long, and heftier, at 1905kg. It’s thus more of a grand tourer, like the 6 Series it replaces. So, rivals range from the 911 to the Aston Martin DB11 and Mercedes S-Class Coupé. As for the £76,000, 315bhp diesel 840d, its nearest two-door rival is the petrol-electric hybrid version of the Lexus LC.
Ahead of the 8 Series’ arrival in dealerships, we took our readers to see it at BMW’s UK HQ.
Next: What do our readers think of it? >
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