BMW has been a partner for many years in the elegance competition at Villa d'Este, on the shores of Lake Como. Every year, the starred company presents an exclusive concept car. And this year, nothing more or less than the almost definitive version of the 8 Series was unveiled. A hell of a preview for the Italian competition.
Exit on the 6th, return to the 8th
BMW is looking for the name of its large coupés and convertibles. The first Series 6 of the name (the E24) will have had a 13-year career (from 1976 to 1989) and will sell 86,000 copies. It was replaced by the 8 Series E31 in 1989, much more sophisticated with its V12, but also much more expensive. For 10 years, the E31 will still sell about 30,000 copies. For 5 years, there will be no bigger coupe at BMW. But in 2004, a more compact coupe was added to the range, which justified the return to the 6 Series name. Until 2011, this generation (the E63) will sell about 116,000 copies. It will then be replaced by the 6 Series as we know it today, the F13, which is slowly ending its career. Production of the coupé stopped last month, while the convertible (F12) and 4-door Gran Coupé coupé (F06) variants are still available for a few more months.
The next generation of Coupé will become more overweight, to fight against the S-Class coupe, and no longer against the E-Class coupe. As a result, the return to the Series 8 name was self-evident. This second generation, the G14, will be launched in early 2018. It was expected to be presented on German soil at the Frankfurt Motor Show next September. But it was the Villa d'Este competition that had the first opportunity to do so, with a so-called concept car that was very close to reality.