Unwrapped & Updated
BMW reveals a refresh of its 8 Series Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe for 2023.
Written by Andre James / Photography courtesy of BMW
BMW has continued to refine the award-winning design of its 8 Series luxury performance vehicles since the model debuted in 2018. The new 2023 8 Series heralds a redesigned front fascia and technology-driven interior refinements that include an enlarged interior 12.3-inch Control Display for the BMW iDrive operating system.
Most notable among the exterior changes is the addition of a BMW Illuminated Kidney Grille. Waterfall lighting highlights revised grille elements and activates when the vehicle is unlocked or a door opens; it can be switched on or off manually by the driver. In addition, five new exterior paint colors and two new wheel options are available. Wheel style 895M is fitted with high-performance, non-runflat tires. It is included in the Cooling and High-Performance Tire Package, which is optional on M850i xDrive coupe and Gran Coupe.
A new optional M Sport Package Professional adds extended Shadowline trim with black kidney grille, black calipers for the standard M Sport brakes, M Shadowline headlights with dark inserts, and a black M rear spoiler for the M850i xDrive coupe. M850i models also boast new side-view mirrors.
To mark the 50th anniversary of BMW M GmbH, all M850i xDrive models will feature the classic BMW Motorsport logo on the hood, trunk, and wheel hub covers in lieu of the usual BMW roundels. The anniversary emblem is reminiscent of the original BMW M GmbH trademark first used on racing cars in 1973.
Technological advances drive changes inside the cockpit. Standard is the BMW Live Cockpit Professional. This fully digital display network consists of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and a central Control Display, which has increased from 10.25 to 12.3 inches. The larger screen enables fast, convenient, and intuitive operation of numerous vehicle functions, powered by the seventh generation of BMW iDrive.
Under the hood, the powertrain remains unchanged. All 203 8 Series models come standard with 8-speed automatics and all-wheel drive. The base 840i xDrive is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter I-6 with 335 hp; the M850i xDrive has a twin-turbo 4.4- liter V-8 with 523 hp; the Alpina B8’s V-8 outputs 612 hp; while the M8 Competition boasts the most horses at 617, courtesy of a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 with a maximum speed of 201 mph.
The 8 X Jeff Koons, unveiled this past February at the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, is the latest car resulting from a decade-long collaboration with American artist Jeff Koons. The special edition BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe features an entirely custom design inside and out personally created by Koons himself. It will be exclusively limited to 99 models worldwide. THE 8 X JEFF KOONS will be displayed in New York City’s iconic Rockefeller Plaza from April 1-4, and a charity auction at Christie’s New York on April 4, 2022.
Full pricing is yet to be announced, but BMW says the base price for the 8 series will remain unchanged at $85,995
