BMW 8 Series review 2023 | Auto Express

The range-topper within BMW’s sports car lineup, the 8 Series aims to mix luxury grand touring with an engaging driving experience. The design is more traditional than some of BMW’s more recent unveilings but still has plenty of presence on the road thanks to its sheer size. The cabin’s fit and finish, along with the technology on board means the 8 Series impresses inside and out.

There’s 4×4 drive from the devastatingly quick V8 M850i or M8 Competition models, while a big boot makes the coupe a genuinely practical grand tourer, if you accept that the confined rear seats are only for occasional use. Otherwise the four-door Gran Coupe variant effectively addresses any accommodation problems.

About the BMW 8 Series

Almost 20 years after the first 8 Series went off sale (the wedge-shaped one with the pop-up headlights), the second generation model launched in 2018. Although the original was coupe-only, to replace the 6 Series’ range of bodystyles the current BMW 8 Series is offered as a two-door Coupe, a four-door Gran Coupe version with an extended wheelbase and a Convertible that sits at the top of the range. BMW introduced a light facelift for the range in early 2022 incorporating subtle styling tweaks, along with extra onboard technology and equipment (pictures in this review are pre-facelift model).

Don’t let the name fool you, in terms of powertrain the 8 Series shares nothing with the now defunct i8 hybrid when it went on sale. Those looking for frugality should check out the 316bhp 3.0-litre diesel 840d xDrive – although you’ll have to look at used models as it’s no longer on sale. This leaves a petrol-only lineup: the 328bhp 840i, the 523bhp M850i xDrive, with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo and the M Competition – which uses the same V8 engine tuned to 616bhp.