BMW reveals new 8-Series Convertible

BMW has just revealed its newest entry in the luxury car beauty pageant, the 8 Series Convertible.

The top-end droptop is set for Australia next year as part of a coupe-and-convertible pairing that return the 8 Series name and badge to local showrooms.

Pricing has not been revealed, but both cars are expected to be in the $250,000-plus range as they sit close to the flagship 7 Series limousine.

There is a surprising twist, too.

“There is a lot of technology in the 8 Series, but also luxury elements that come from the Rolls-Royce brand,” says the spokeswoman for BMW Australia, Lenore Fletcher.

The Rolls-Royce connection comes because BMW Group owns the famed British brand, and its Ghost, Wraith and Dawn all share their basic mechanical package with the 7 Series. It’s the same story for the 8 Series, which is close to the 7 Series limousine in dimensions and equipment.

Fletcher says the re-introduction of the 8 Series, which first hit the road in the early 1990s, shows a renewed focus on the top end of the BMW line.

“There is a real emphasis in our line-up at the moment at the top end of the range. There was an 8 Series in the past, but it was a very long time ago. So this car fits in beautifully at the top end.”

Timing for the arrival of the 8 Series twins is yet to be locked in, but Fletcher says both will make it to Australia before the third quarter of 2019.

“The Coupe will be here in the first half of next year. The Convertible will be around midyear.”

First pictures and details of the 8 Series Convertible are now available from Germany, pointing to a great looking car with a full four-seater cabin and a folding fabric roof that does its work in 15 seconds at up to 50km/h.

Despite the convertible roof, BMW claims a hush-quiet cabin that’s loaded with everything from a standard wind blocker and optional neck warmers to iDrive 7.0, a studio-quality Bowers&Wilkins sound system and a 50:50 split-fold rear seat to boost the carrying capacity in the boot.

Mechanically, BMW is building the 8 Series Convertible with both a 4.4-litre petrol V8 engine and a 3.0-litre straight-six diesel, both coupled to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive.

Paul Gover

As Motoring Editor for Executive Traveller, Paul Gover spends less time at his Gold Coast home than he does on the road (literally) test-driving the best of the four-wheel world.