Remember how you were all excited by the upcoming BMW 8 Series and M8? Do you also remember my rant about why this big revival won't be as exciting as BMW wants us to believe? Well, it turns out I was right. Yeah, yeah, I'm well aware that both the 8 Series and M8 are still under wraps, but BMW just unveiled the M8 GTE race car, which basically means that the Germans showcased more than 50-percent of the production model. And look, it's pretty much a redesigned M6!

Come on, did you really believe that BMW was planning to revive the 8 Series nameplate for something completely new like it happened when it was first introduced in the late 1980s? Wasn't the fact that BMW discontinued the 6 Series before the announcement a big enough hint? How can you be so naive? Well, if you're still expecting the 8 Series to be a unique model in the lineup and not just a reheated 6 Series soup, keep reading to find out why you should stop being the world's most optimistic BMW fanboy.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Styling Isn't All that Great

What, were you under the impression that you'll get that sleek concept car on the road? Nope! All you're getting is a very toned down version of the M8 GTE race car. And that's the M8 we're talking about. The 8 Series will be even more boring. And just look at it. Haven't you seen those headlamps and taillights somewhere else? Sure, the grille is big and juicy, but there's really nothing new to see there. The new 6 Series Gran Coupe has a similar kidney grille, the only reason why the GTE's looks so menacing is because there are no vertical slats.

Shape? Same thing. It's a two-door coupe. It's just as sleek as any other coupe out there. Okay, so maybe the rear glass is flatter and the quarter windows are a tad more aggressive, but I bet the next-generation 6 Series would have looked the same.

Same Size

The M8 GTE is 4,980 mm long and 2,046 mm wide. That's only 86 mm longer and 152 mm wider than the outgoing 6 Series. Not a lot bigger for a flagship luxury coupe. And given that the GTE has a few extra aero bits that alter its dimensions, there's a good chance that the production model will be a tad smaller and basically identical to the old 6 Series.

Now, a well-informed BMW fan would tell that the first-gen 8 Series wasn't bigger than the first-gen 6 Series it replaced in 1989. And I would agree, the numbers speak for themselves. But you see, we can't compare 1989 with 2018. Supposedly BMW is reviving the 8 Series in order to save its ass in the big luxury coupe segment. Read that as in "it desperately needs a competitor for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe." And guess what, the Merc is a tad longer. So what's the point of competing with the S-Class if you're not making a slightly bigger, which could mean more comfortable, coupe?

Again, I'm not saying the 8 Series is a bad idea. I'm just saying that Munich could have easily redesigned the 6 Series into a better competitor for the S-Class Coupe. Marketing money is money well spent, but we need great cars and a bit less hype.

We might as well put a 2002 badge on the 1 Series and call it a day...

References

BMW M8 GTE

Read our full review on the BMW M8 GTE.

BMW 8 Series

Read our full speculative review on the next BMW 8 Series.

BMW M8

Read our full speculative review on the next BMW M8.