“The 8 Series,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, vice-president of BMW Group Design, “offers a fresh interpretation of the brand’s most iconic aspects, while demonstrating a new approach to the use of forms in the surfaces of the car, forcefully sculpted for a model of remarkable character. In short, this is a sophisticated automobile that offers maximum driving pleasure.” The big motor requires space, and in fact that most striking feature of the new BMW is the long arched hood, with two large curves that powerfully dictate the overall design of the other surfaces.
The sides are long and supple, displaying the chrome ducts that allow the heat of the 8-cylinder engine to be released at the sides; the long, sinuous roof elegantly descends towards the back and then protrudes, like a sort of spoiler over the taillights. The front is pure BMW, in a modern take on the classic stylemes of the brand; the radiator is enclosed in the traditional ‘double kidney’ but in a three-dimensional arrangement, while the LED (or laser) headlights have a slim profile and large air intakes below.
The 8 Series is a coupe, thus with four seats: the front ones are wide and very comfortable, while the back seats are smaller and not terribly easy to reach, since the model quite properly has but two doors. The size? Impressive, far from the compact sports models to which we are accustomed: the length is nearly five meters (4.84, to be precise), the width almost two (1.92). This abundance ensures a roomy interior, with the use of fine materials and seats in genuine leather, like big armchairs shaped to welcome and support the body even during the most energetic performance.