2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe: The Ultimate Upper-Class Driving Machine

When it comes to automotive inter-brand rivalries, the German luxury brands are the most ruthlessly competitive. Mercedes-Benz and BMW are the most obvious examples of this, but Audi has also participated.

Whenever one of them creates a new vehicle category, one or more of the others comes out with competing vehicles. We saw this when Mercedes-Benz created the CLS four-door coupe. It was soon followed by the BMW 4 Series and 6 Series Gran Coupes, and the Audi A7 and A5 Liftback.

It happened again when BMW invented the X6 and later X4 SUV Coupes This led to the release of the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. And so it goes.

There was one segment where Mercedes-Benz usually had things all to itself: the high-end coupe market. For many years, the S-Class Coupe was the only two-door luxury car at this price level. BMW originally tried to compete here with the first, unsuccessful BMW 8 Series Coupe, which was sold here from 1990 to 1997. BMW has been absent from the segment since, but now it is trying again.

Enter the 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe, which is BMW’s top-of-the-line luxury vehicle. It sits above the 7 Series luxury sedan. This is the company’s high-performance, high technology flagship, with the specifications to prove it.

What’s So Special About The 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe?

The 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe has been designed to achieve superlative levels of performance, luxury and technology. Let’s take a look at the details:

Power And Performance Are Standard

The initial BMW 8 Series Coupe model to be sold here will be the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe. It comes with a 530-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.4L V8 engine. An eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission with paddle shifters channels the power through its xDrive system, driving all four wheels.

The 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe was developed alongside the racing version of this car, so it will be a great car to drive. It has a low center of gravity, well-balanced weight distribution, lightweight construction, an aerodynamically optimized and very rigid body structure, powerful M Sport brake system, and adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers. These are all good things, if you like excellent handling in a car.

Luxury Features You Expect In This Class

A vehicle of this type must be high in luxury as well as performance, and the 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe delivers. Standard features include multi-adjustable Vernasca leather sport seats, leather-covered instrument panel and door shoulders, and an M leather steering wheel. Also standard are multi-color fiber optic ambient lighting, and a 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

As is typical in German luxury cars, there is an wide array of optional equipment. This includes some legitimate luxury items like upgraded leathers, a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound audio system, even glass knobs for the gear selector, iDrive controller, start/stop button and audio volume control. But then there are the optional items that come standard on many low-priced vehicles, like heated seats and wireless phone charging. Strange!

Technology To The Max

The 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe has technology that keeps you connected. Inside, this starts with the BMW Live Cockpit Professional, which uses a 12.3” digital hi-res instrument cluster and a 10.2” center display. You can view navigation information in the instrument cluster, custom-configure the center display, and even display cornering forces during spirited driving. Inputs can be made by voice, by touchscreen, through the iDrive controller, or with the steering wheel controls.

The system also includes an adaptive navigation system, a hard-drive-based multimedia system with 20 GB of memory, two USB ports, plus Bluetooth and WiFi. The 8 Series Coupe’s connectivity capabilities work through its built-in SIM card and unlimited data volume. Microsoft Office 365 with Skype for Business integration enables safe access to contacts and appointments, plus participation in teleconferences.

Through the optional BMW Connected service, drivers can interface with iPhone, Apple Watch, Google Home, Alexa, and Android smartphones and watches. The BMW Connected App has a Digital Key function that lets you lock and unlock the 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe with your phone.

Driver Assistance Features: Getting Close To Self-Driving

The 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe comes standard with cruise control with braking function, as well as collision and pedestrian warning with city braking function, which also alerts the driver when a cyclist is detected. Depending on the situation, this system can stop the vehicle to either avoid or minimize a collision.

Also standard is the BMW head-up display, which projects relevant driving information onto the windscreen in the form of graphics, without any need to divert your eyes from the road. This includes vehicle speed, speed limits, passing restrictions, detailed route guidance, and turn instructions.

Optional driver assistance features on the 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe include:

• Active cruise control with stop & go function (which can be used at up to 130 mph!)
• Steering and lane control assistant
• Lane keeping assistant with active side collision protection
• Evasion aid, which also reacts to pedestrians
• Rear collision warning,
• Priority warning
• Wrong-way warning systems
• Crossing traffic warning with brake intervention

This suite of systems seems to match, and possibly exceed the capabilities of the Tesla Autopilot system, letting the car drive itself while the driver stays focused on the road ahead.

The 2019 BMW M850i xDrive Coupe will go on sale at US BMW dealers on December 8, 2018. Pricing will start at $111,900 plus destination and handling.

Should You Lease A BMW 8 Series Coupe?

Leasing is the perfect way to experience the 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe. Leasing gives you lower monthly payments, and keeps you under warranty in case any of the multitude of complex electronic systems aboard this amazing vehicle should malfunction. This beautifully-styled, powerful, high-tech luxury sports coupe will definitely move you, in many different ways.