BMW has confirmed the 8 Series, its largest line of passenger cars, is due to exit production this month, with insiders claiming there will be no follow-up.
In a statement to CarBuzz, BMW said the 8 Series “has reached the end of its standard product lifecycle”, having launched in its most recent form in 2018, succeeding the 5 Series-sized 6 Series as the flagship line for coupes, convertibles and sporty sedans.
Due to its position in the lineup and its price, the 8 Series has never been a strong seller, less than 100,000 examples made across its eight-year production run, with only 715 sold in Australia since its debut.
The 8 Series also served as the basis for the M8, which became BMW’s competitor in the US IMSA racing series, as well as the World Endurance Championship.
During this period the BMW M8 GTE won five IMSA races, including the Daytona 24 Hour twice, with Australian star Chaz Mostert a part of the 2020 race-winning crew.
The impending demise of the 8 Series will be the second time the nameplate has gone off sale, after the first-generation 8 Series was launched in 1990 and eventually retired without a direct replacement in 1999.
Rumours have circulated in the past that BMW would introduce a third-generation 8 Series or replace it with the 6 Series, however the carmaker shut these reports down last year.
Reputable sources, such as Bimmerpost forum user ‘ynguldyn’ – who compiles claimed insider BMW product knowledge – have said it is “not clear” if a new-generation 8 Series or 6 Series will exist, with BMW instead focusing on higher-volume products.
The brand is in the thick of launching its Neue Klasse electric vehicles such as the iX3 and i3, while also keeping some of its most popular nameplates in the public consciousness amid a rise in the market from Chinese competitors.
Though there has been no official word, it seems production of the current 8 Series will effectively bow out with the Speedtop, the gorgeous concept car revealed last year.
Limited to just 70 examples, the 8 Series-based Speedtop is closely related to 2024’s Skytop, but now employing a shooting brake-style roof and rear end, rather than a convertible body.
The Speedtop is powered by the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 from the M8 Competition, which in that car makes 460kW and 750Nm, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
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