July 2018 Issue #19 July 2018 Issue #19 4Guys | Page 70

CAR BMW Launches All-New 8 Series
BMW started showing photos of the all-new 8 Series in concept forms as far back as May of
last year. But the production version is finally ready, and the big coupe has been revealed offi-
cially.
The 8 Series wears the highest number in the BMW lineup, but it’s not the biggest car. At 4,851
mm long, it’s actually 43 mm shorter than the 6 Series coupe and convertible. It’s still not ex-
actly small, and BMW points out that the 8 badge is “reserved for exceptionally sporty cars.”
Cars like the Z8 roadster and the i8 hybrid supercar.
BMW says that the main focus of the 8 is on dynamics. To that end, while the 8 will launch
globally with a gas and a diesel engine, Canada is starting off with just the gas version. That’s
in the M Performance version, the M850i xDrive. It has a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 that produces 530
hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. It uses an eight-speed automatic transmission and sends the pow-
er to all four wheels. The rear-biased all-wheel drive system has an electronic locking M Sport
rear differential to help send power to the wheels that need it.
The stiff chassis uses an adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled d ampers. The
suspension can adjust both rebound and compression damping continuously and separately.
BMW says that the suspension uses extremely stiff springs to reduce roll and keep the wheels
on the road but that the dampers can respond quickly to filter out everything but relevant steer-
ing information.
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