BMW has announced that it started producing three of its new 8 Series variants yesterday.
The Dingolfing plant in Germany started producing the new 8 Series Coupe and Convertible models earlier in the year and is known as being the firm’s primary plant to build its luxury models.
But alongside the current 8 Series versions, the recently announced four-door Gran Coupe model is now being manufactured there. This is the sleek, more practical version of the 8 Series. Its wheelbase is 201mm longer than the Coupe but features a tuned chassis to ensure it’s just as good to drive as the two-door model. More than half of 8 Series sales are likely to be of this car.
Alongside the Gran Coupe, BMW has also started to produce the hot M8 Competition Coupe and Convertible models. These utilise the most powerful BMW M engine ever produced – a 616bhp 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, which is able to accelerate from 0-60mph in just three seconds.
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These three new models are all available to order now, with first deliveries for the 8 Series Gran Coupe expected in September, with the M8 variants following the month after.
Later in the year the plant will also expand to produce the M8 Gran Coupe, which be revealed in the coming months.
The Dingolfing plant is huge – manufacturing models such as the 3, 4, 5 and 7 Series, alongside the new 8 Series. It employs a huge 18,000 people and produces an average of 1,500 cars each day.
