Rumors of BMW planning to revive the 8 Series nameplate have been swirling around for quite a few years, and German brand officials didn't bother to official confirm or dismiss the claims. But it's finally official! The 8 Series is coming back, and we have a teaser photo as confirmation. The two-door coupe was confirmed at BMW's Annual General Meeting in Munich on May 11 and will make its first public appearance at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at the end of the month in the form of a concept car. Yey!

Now don't let the "concept car" formulation ruin your day. The show car will most definitely be followed by a production model. According to BMW, the concept car "provides an exclusive look ahead to the BMW 8 Series Coupe slated for 2018," so we'll be seeing the actual vehicle in about a year or so. Time for another "yey!," huh? The German firm also said that the concept "embodies uncompromising dynamics and contemporary luxury – the essence of a modern BMW coupe." And the teaser photo seems to confirm just that in terms of exterior design.

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Sleek and Aggressive

When talking about the upcoming 8 Series, most enthusiasts refer to it as a mix between the brand-new 7 Series and the 6 Series. This teaser proves that BMW created a more unique design. This is especially visible toward the back, in the very muscular haunches and the aggressive decklid spoiler that extends toward the fenders. The front end seems to be equally aggressive, featuring a pointy nose and slender headlamps. Not much else can be taken from this shadowy picture, but the upcoming 8 Series looks very sleek and appealing. And I have a feeling that this silhouette won't change much with the production model.

The 8 Series is a necessary addition to BMW's current lineup. Actually, I'd dare say that the German firm desperately needs one. The 7 Series has been lagging behind the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the full-size niche for quite a few years, and while Merc also rolled out coupe and convertible versions of its successful nameplate, BMW did nothing to enhance the range. Not only the 6 Series is too small to compete with the S-Class Coupe, but it's also seriously dated compared to its traditional competitor, the E-Class Coupe. So the 8 Series is of massive importance to BMW and probably the car that could save its butt in the full-size luxury segment. But, it also needs a convertible and a performance-rated M8 model. And it kind of needs to happen tomorrow...

Rebirth of a Legend

The 8 Series will return after almost two decades. The first and only generation was introduced in 1989 and, despite sometimes being considered a successor to the 6 Series, which was discontinued the same year, the 8 Series wasn't based on an existing model and was developed for a totally different segment. Designed by Klaus Kapitza, the 8 Series was significantly larger than the 6 Series, and its styling was unique. The grand tourer has a high beltline, a massive appearance front and rear, and retractable headlamps, a feature BMW had previously used on the M1 sports car only. And needless to say, the said feature has yet to return on a production Bimmer as of 2017. Offer with a range of V-8 and V-12 engines until it was discontinued in 1999, the 8 Series developed from 282 to as much as 375 horsepower in various configurations. Only 30,603 units were produced in 10 years, making it one of the rarest BMWs every built.

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