The Gentle Beast

The BMW M8 is where luxury meets power. It’s a sweet ride that offers the thrills despite its calm demeanour

- Lance Lim

LAUNCHED LOCALLY in Q3 of 2020, The first-ever BMW M8 Coupé takes the BMW 8 Series model range to a whole new level in terms of performance as it benefits from the most powerful engine ever developed by BMW M.

However, according to Harald Hoelzl, managing director of BMW Group Malaysia, “At the BMW Group, M is the Most Powerful Letter in the World, as it represents the high-performance vehicles born out of pure passion for motorsports. This fascination for power, speed and dynamics has put M on the map since 1972.” And like its two other well-known siblings, the BMW i-8 and the Z8, the number “8” has only ever been assigned the high-ranking status within the BMW portfolio.

And if you have been following the brand long enough, you’ll know it’s not the first time Bimmer has rolled out an 8-series. The idea was first conceived in 1984, with construction starting in 1986, and it was rolled out as a 2+2 coupe in 1991. However, it was a difficult time, sales were affected by a major global recession made worse by energy price hikes as a result of the Persian Gulf War. The model was quietly retired in 1999.

More importantly, the return of the BMW 8-series, first the convertible followed by the coupe variant, sets a new benchmark in modern luxury sports car for German automaker and it may be indicative of a growing appetite for more premium sporty coupes. Here’re four reasons how the new BMW 8-series is changing the way we consume luxury.

Well-Tailored