At the launch of the new BMW 8 Series Coupe in Le Mans, France, BMW Group Design Director Adrian Van Hooydonk was gracious to grant us an interview. The chat focused on the new grand tourer from Munich which has wowed the crowds in Le Mans with its design lines, luxury and sporty appearance.
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Our first impressions with the 8 Series were that this might be the best looking BMW in ages. It’s long, low and mean, with a long hood, short rear deck, muscular rear haunches and a low profile. It’s a proper sporty grand tourer, at least in terms of its design, and it sets the tone for a future BMW design language.
At the front, its headlights are angular and angry but also pretty. The taillights may be the best looking BMW taillights I’ve ever seen, as they’re long and wide, with just a subtle L-shape incorporated into a slim housing. Its hood is heavily sculpted and its grilles are wide, giving it a low, wide and aggressive look.
The key design element, though, is how the glasshouse is sharply tapered toward the rear, which leads into muscular rear haunches, making the 8 Series look both athletic and beautiful. From the rear three-quarters angle, the 8 Series is downright seductive.
But to hear how the design came to life, click on the video embedded in this article.
Sorry, but his words just fell flat. This reminds me of his interview when he tried his best to explain how painstaking it was to create G11/12 seven series. Within no time the car was called off as a design dud and that largely stayed true even till date.
Honestly, other than those extremely gorgeous taillights, there is simply nothing here to look forward to in terms of designs and aesthetics. The latest M4 CS has got far more arresting face than 8’s and also lot more fresher looking. The sides would have been far more classier had BMW used their own cab backward glasshouse with pronounced hoffmeister kink. This one has more mass produced, less classy muscle car vibe to it. And you can dial Ferrari or Lamborghini to understand how cladding is integrated in bumpers. Childish, shockingly stupid, and hilarious are the words that come to mind after seeing that.
Interiors have already made some progress. But if Lexus can achieve what they have achieved in LC500 in terms of interiors and BMW can’t then there is a problem. Compare the interior design, layout and aesthetics side by side and even the most blinded and staunch BMW supporter would be able to tell how shoddy BMW’S interior design has been. And btw, there has been several debate that this is in no way associated with last 6 series, it’s the striking similarity in the cebtre console design of both cars that makes it difficult to digest this fact. There should have been more distinguishing factor here. Dials new layout is more comical and less of class. That touch screen with its trapezoidal contours look terribly out of place. In a way it’s disappointing, after new X5 it felt that BMW has finally cracked the code of screen placement and integration but this one is actually several steps back.
Of course, all this is my opinion and I can be wrong here. But my opinions matched more closely with the majority in case of 5 and 7 series. There is a reason why BMW don’t do as well as MB in upper echelons and I think this is the reason. Trying to do lots of things at one go and rotting up the final outcome.
I hope what he said about this design being the torch bearer for upcoming cars is more of a marketing thing than truth. We do not want these uninspiring designs to prolong any further.
Ps – I absolutely admire some of his past works. And firmly feel that he has been an influential personality at BMW office but for last 6-8 years things have been stunted. Hoping for some Kabab flair to show up sooner than later.
8 series configurator is up on http://www.bmw.be
see links:
https://www.bmw.be/nl/ssl/configurator.html#/
https://www.bmw.be/nl/ssl/configurator.html#/BC41//G15/esl/new/
Its a very good looking car but I’m still not impressed with its “luxury” credentials, as a matter of fact, it has no luxury credentials. For instance, the sound system, you have to tick the paid option for Harman Kardon. That’s it. On a flagship car, the best sound system offering is Harman Kardon and you have to tick the box to get it as paid option and do not forget that Harman Kardon is not a sound system brand name found in cars offering a luxury cachet. Harman Kardon isn’t even considered premium by most yet that is the highest sound system offering in the 8 series and BMW didn’t even have the shame to simply made out standard on the car.
Mercedes offer Burmester, a brand name synonymous with premium/luxury, in the automotive sound system sphere and Burmester is actually offers as standard on some trims, definitely standard on S Class coupe, and on many AMG cars.
Even Audi found a way to corner exclusive rights to Bang & Olufsen, a luxury sound system name, going forward.
The sound system is just one instance. For a premium german flagship car they managed to offer alcantara headlining but no options for alcantara cover for steering wheel or alcantara seats (even partial mix with leather).
I have the previous generation M5 and really wanted this 8 series to be the car I upgrade to but I haven’t been left feeling impressed. The car looks sensational and is going to be one of the best ever BMW cars to drive but I feel BMW are trying to sell a premium car (6 series level) for the price of an upper-executive luxury car. I haven’t seen anything in the M850i that makes it worth £100k+ (it feels more in the £79k – £82k range). Nice looking car, I’m still going to end up buying it even after all this ranting.
He can say what he wants. The reality is that the design of the new 8 is a real anticlimax. It is just too bland and boring.
Mr Hooydonk speaks of real gentleman’s racer, “a true sports car”, while others say it’s classy and sporty GT. I think Bmw decided to create both from two worlds. One the other hand the main rival is S class AMG S63 coupe on the other hand a dozen of real sports car, not fake, such like DB11, AMG GT R and maybe 911.
One reason I started following BMW in 1970 is because they didn’t look like anything else on the road. Still true today. Even when various designers contribute, there is still a corporate similarity. Still true today. Many other manufacturers try to rip off their corporate 1 sausage/3 sizes design, but as 8 demonstrates, BMW are still the original. If hate is any indicator of success, as it was with the 745i, Van Hooydonk has another hit on his hands.
A design object needing the designer to tell of its greatness is never a good sign. Sorry, this thing simply does not move the game forward. The ball BMW had picked up with e.g. the i8 has been dropped again …
Sorry but I expected more. If this is what they can offer as a flagship car then its very dissapointing (exterior and interior design). When I first saw the e31 for almost 20 years ago as a child, I immediatly fell in love with the car. The design was ahead of its time and very special for me. But today when I look at the new car I dont feel anything, nothing is exciting and special. It just looks like a combination of different cars putted together, nothing unique. And that steering wheel just destroys the interior.
It seems that as the hoopla of new launch has started to fade, more and more people here are able to say another mundane BMW design effort.
There are already more people in disagreement than in agreement with Mr. Hooydonk’s explanations. One thing about classics is that it doesn’t need any explanation. And, there is no personal hate for Mr. Hooydonk as few here want to believe. People are just sharing their subjective opinions.
Alas, all is not lost though. However, mediocre and lame BMW design department has been off late, their Engineering team have picked up their game incredibly with last couple of launches. Smashing driving experience can significantly lift this car’s credentials.
This car may not be for showcases but it still can be for garages.
Not tooting my own horn,,,,,but my 2013 650i coupe , with 20’s looks better than this car. Do a picture comparison apples to apples…..show both cars with the same size rims,,,,,nose to nose. Then lets judge.
Then size must matter, because 645i, 6GC & new 8er ALL more attractive than 650i Coupe, even the Cabriolet is an improvement.
Doesn’t matter,,,you will never own any of them…ha!
True. Haven’t owned one since my E9. Drove the 645i, loved it, not the recent one. I will never need 20 inch rims because I’m not overcompensating for anything.
Saw this baby at Le Mans last weekend. I must say it looks awesome (much better than the Aston Martin in terms of quality of material used and proportions), pictures really do not make any justice.
Agreed