BMW has taken an unusual approach with the launch of its upcoming 8 Series. The all-new coupe is set to be unveiled in a few months from now but the German firm has been drip-feeding us information for some time.

Racing first

The automaker, with a proud racing heritage, unveiled its M8 GTE racecar last year. Showing the racer so early ahead of the production model gave us a clear indication of the road car’s appearance.

More info

Now BMW has revealed a few more juicy details about it upcoming M850i xDrive. This model is not the performance halo; that title goes to the upcoming M8.

The M850i, said to fill the space between a Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG S-Class Coupe, will be powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 that develops 390 kW and 750 N.m. The torque peak is available from just 1 800 r/min.

You can read about our recent drive in the new BMW M5 by clicking here.

A shift from RWD

As seen with several newer BMW performance models the force-fed V8 delivers its power to all four wheels – that’s the xDrive bit in the name – via an eight-speed Steptronic sport transmission. No doubt the all-wheel drive system will have a rearward bias to maintain a rear-wheel-drive feel.

M-car handling

To maintain its “M” credentials the M850i will be fitted with adaptive M suspension Professional. This set up features active roll stabilisation and Integral Active Steering. These systems are able to offer different characteristics depending on drive mode selected by the driver, and recalibration of the stability control as well as xDrive modules.

Launch date

BMW has yet to confirm a launch date for the 8 Series, but several sources are predicting the middle of 2018, with customer sales starting before the year ends.

You can see the M850i in action here: