BMW has announced a new 8 Series Coupé. The new car features BMW’s xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system and EfficientLightweight design measures. The company says the new car was developed alongside the BMW M8 GTE – a race car that has already proven its potential in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) long-distance races and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) held in North America.

The exterior design has a link to the BMW Concept 8 Series first unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2017. It shows a new styling language “focusing on clarity, modernity and emotional engagement”.

An almost fully sealed underbody, active air flap control with adjustable kidney grille slats and Air Curtains including Air Breathers help to reduce aerodynamic drag. Narrow exterior mirror bases are mounted directly on the side window weather strips to further enhance the airflow.

The BMW M850i xDrive features a 530hp V8 twin-turbocharged petrol engine. This is the latest generation of BMW’s 4.4-litre eight-cylinder and the company says it has been radically revised.

The new 840d xDrive Coupé features a 3.0-litre six-cylinder in-line diesel with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology delivering a maximum output of 316 bhp and peak torque of 502 ft lb enabling the car to sprint to 62mph from rest in only 4.9 seconds.

Average fuel consumption is 46.3mpg, equating to CO2 emissions of 160g/km. The system of emission control incorporating BMW BluePerformance technology comprises a particulate filter, an oxidation catalyst, a NOX adsorption catalyst, as well as an SCR catalyst with AdBlue injection for further reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions.

Both engines use an improved version of the eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, with reduced weight, a newly developed controller and a gear ratio spread that has been increased from 7.07 to 8.59. As a result, it is possible to achieve significant efficiency gains with reduced engine speeds, particularly when driving in higher gears. Shift paddles on the steering wheel are included for manual gear selection, while the transmission features a Launch Control function for accelerating from a standing start with maximum power and traction.

The Steptronic transmission’s controller is able to adapt shift strategy to the current driving situation by means of intelligent networking with the standard Professional Navigation system, enabling it to take the planned route into account. Navigation data is used, for example, to shift down early when approaching a junction in order to use engine braking to slow the car down.

All cars use the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system. Power is split in accordance with demands at all times using an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch that is networked with the powertrain and chassis systems.

Integral Active Steering is fitted as standard to reduce the turning circle when manoeuvring. This also increases agility at moderate speeds and optimises poise and assurance when changing lanes and cornering at high speeds. It becomes more direct as the speed builds but allows the driver to manoeuvre at low speeds with minimal steering wheel movement.

BMW says the integration of Microsoft Office 365 turns the BMW 8 Series Coupé into a mobile office.

The BMW 8 Series is on sale from December, with prices starting from £76,270.