XM [Rumors] BMW X8 plans
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The BMW XM is a full-size automobile manufactured in the United States by German marque BMW since 2022. It is a crossover SUV with a plug-in hybrid electric drivetrain, and is the second car developed entirely by BMW M, after the BMW M1 in 1978. Official website: BMW M
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oh dear lord that's hideous. 
CrunchSlaughtered
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Does "Unfortunately" mean that this is much better than the real thing? Doesn't the real thing look very good?
nikola1984
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The BMW X8 SUV is likely to be the brand’s highest-priced model when it is launched around 2020.
It will be pitched as a coupé-styled rival to the Range Rover and upcoming Audi Q8 and could compete in fully loaded guise against low-end versions of the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus andRolls-Royce Cullinan.
BMW’s head of development, Klaus Fröhlich, wouldn’t confirm plans to push BMW into an even higher price segment with the X8, but he did say such a car was under evaluation and the idea of it held strong appeal.
“The sector is growing fast, so there will be opportunity,” said Fröhlich. “It is early to talk about X8, but one of the first decisions I made when I worked on product strategy was to take the X5 and make the X6.
Everyone said it was not necessary, but it worked. Now we have theX2, X4 and X6. They are emotional and sporty derivatives that work for us.
“There is room for X8 – especially in markets like China – but there are no decisions yet. Each car must have a distinct character, and these are the sort of areas that take time to evaluate.”
Discussions are believed to centre on the platform structure the X8 would need and whether it should be a coupé version of the X7, which was revealed at the Frankfurt motor show and goes on sale in the middle of 2018, or a long- wheelbase version of that car, which would free up additional rear space and allow for a sweeping roofline.
Either way, the X8 is likely to have the option of four or five seats across two rows, rather than the X7’s seven seats in three rows. As such, the emphasis will be on delivering luxurious rear-seat travel, with the materials and finishes chosen to further that goal, rather than being focused on outright practicality.
While the latter idea is said to be favoured by many, it potentially adds complexity to the project as it may require the car to be built on a hybrid mix of BMW’s CLAR modular platform, which underpins the firm’s other X models, and the Cullinan’s new aluminium structure in order to achieve rigidity without adding too much weight or cost.
The decision on how sweeping to make the roofline is said to hinge around the need for the rear seats to be commodious, given that the X8 is likely to be chauffeur driven for many owners, and how much differentiation is required to give the car a unique character from the X7. Achieving coherent styling of the sweeping roofline without bringing down the roof height ahead of the boot line will inevitably be problematic.
The X7’s dimensions in comparison to rivals suggest there is room for a longer version in the line- up. It is 5020mm long with a wheelbase of 3010mm, while the Mercedes-Benz GLS is 5131mm long and has a wheelbase of 3076mm.
A Range Rover is 4999mm long and has a wheelbase of 2922mm in standard form. Power is likely to come from the same powertrains as for the X7, although the sales focus in China, Russia and the Middle East may mean that initial offerings are confined to higher-powered petrol or plug-in petrol-electric hybrid drivelines. Given those target markets, the possibility of a V12-engined X8, powered by the 592bhp, 590lb ft 6.6-litre unit that is found in the 7 Series, is highly likely.
The petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is believed to be derived from the same set-up as that used by the 740e xDrive iPerformance, with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine operating in combination with an electric motor in the forward section of the gearbox housing, albeit with a larger-capacity battery to give a 62-mile electric range.
Upcoming BMW X8 to rival Range Rover | Autocar
It will be pitched as a coupé-styled rival to the Range Rover and upcoming Audi Q8 and could compete in fully loaded guise against low-end versions of the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus andRolls-Royce Cullinan.
BMW’s head of development, Klaus Fröhlich, wouldn’t confirm plans to push BMW into an even higher price segment with the X8, but he did say such a car was under evaluation and the idea of it held strong appeal.
“The sector is growing fast, so there will be opportunity,” said Fröhlich. “It is early to talk about X8, but one of the first decisions I made when I worked on product strategy was to take the X5 and make the X6.
Everyone said it was not necessary, but it worked. Now we have theX2, X4 and X6. They are emotional and sporty derivatives that work for us.
“There is room for X8 – especially in markets like China – but there are no decisions yet. Each car must have a distinct character, and these are the sort of areas that take time to evaluate.”
Discussions are believed to centre on the platform structure the X8 would need and whether it should be a coupé version of the X7, which was revealed at the Frankfurt motor show and goes on sale in the middle of 2018, or a long- wheelbase version of that car, which would free up additional rear space and allow for a sweeping roofline.
Either way, the X8 is likely to have the option of four or five seats across two rows, rather than the X7’s seven seats in three rows. As such, the emphasis will be on delivering luxurious rear-seat travel, with the materials and finishes chosen to further that goal, rather than being focused on outright practicality.
While the latter idea is said to be favoured by many, it potentially adds complexity to the project as it may require the car to be built on a hybrid mix of BMW’s CLAR modular platform, which underpins the firm’s other X models, and the Cullinan’s new aluminium structure in order to achieve rigidity without adding too much weight or cost.
The decision on how sweeping to make the roofline is said to hinge around the need for the rear seats to be commodious, given that the X8 is likely to be chauffeur driven for many owners, and how much differentiation is required to give the car a unique character from the X7. Achieving coherent styling of the sweeping roofline without bringing down the roof height ahead of the boot line will inevitably be problematic.
The X7’s dimensions in comparison to rivals suggest there is room for a longer version in the line- up. It is 5020mm long with a wheelbase of 3010mm, while the Mercedes-Benz GLS is 5131mm long and has a wheelbase of 3076mm.
A Range Rover is 4999mm long and has a wheelbase of 2922mm in standard form. Power is likely to come from the same powertrains as for the X7, although the sales focus in China, Russia and the Middle East may mean that initial offerings are confined to higher-powered petrol or plug-in petrol-electric hybrid drivelines. Given those target markets, the possibility of a V12-engined X8, powered by the 592bhp, 590lb ft 6.6-litre unit that is found in the 7 Series, is highly likely.
The petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is believed to be derived from the same set-up as that used by the 740e xDrive iPerformance, with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine operating in combination with an electric motor in the forward section of the gearbox housing, albeit with a larger-capacity battery to give a 62-mile electric range.
Upcoming BMW X8 to rival Range Rover | Autocar
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Judging from the dimensions of the X7 (5020mm long), the X7 will really not be as big as I initially thought it would be considering it's supposed to be a 3 row SUV/SAV. For comparisson, the cuurent 3 row Mercedes GLS is 5131mm long and from the spy pics we've seen of the next generation GLS, it's going to be even bigger than the current generation!
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The introduction of an X8 in production form will only further fuel my dislike of these gargantuan SUVs' and derivative crossovers.
"Why ?" one may ask.
Because I cannot help but suspect that BMW product planners will (or perhaps already have) sacrifice the reportedly (allegedly) planned G16 8 series Gran Coupe in favor of this...this...f**kin' truck !
"Why ?" one may ask.
Because I cannot help but suspect that BMW product planners will (or perhaps already have) sacrifice the reportedly (allegedly) planned G16 8 series Gran Coupe in favor of this...this...f**kin' truck !
CrunchSlaughtered
RPM Ruler
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They will not cancel it, but for sure its R&D budget is compromised in favour of the much trendier and profitable SACs
SCOTT27
Lap Time Luminary
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Probably room for both.
chonkoa
Aerodynamic Artisan
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I hope the X6.
KiwiRob
Tire Trailblazer
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Fuel cell is the future for everything except city cars IMO.
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I hope X2, far better.
nikola1984
Kraftkurve King
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BMW X8 SUV in planning stages in Munich
The BMW X family could gain another member in the next few years. According to our sources, the bosses in Munich are exploring the idea …
The BMW X family could gain another member in the next few years. According to our sources, the bosses in Munich are exploring the idea of a BMW X8 SUV which – as the name suggests – will sit above the upcoming X7 seven seater.
Although some design cues of the X8 will follow the same recipe that BMW applies to the X4 and X6, the rumor is that BMW will not be making a bigger X6, but rather will implement the dynamic and sporty style of a typical X model. The X8 will also not be a coupe version of the X7.
Rendering BMW X8
With the ever growing luxury SUV market, BMW is evaluating whether there is interest from its customers to jump into, what could be, their most expensive car ever produced. We’ve recently seen a wide range of high-end, luxury SUVs, from the Bentley Bentayga to the new Lamborghini Urus and the upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
In the X8, one of the top priorities is to give the passengers the same rear seats feel like in a 7 Series, with enough headroom and a roof line that is far more handsome than any of the current BMW crossovers. Luxury at its finest, sophisticated technology and autonomous driving features are just as equally important for the X8 project.
The project is still in the approval stage and a decision will be made later this year.
BMW X8 SUV in planning stages in Munich
The BMW X family could gain another member in the next few years. According to our sources, the bosses in Munich are exploring the idea …
The BMW X family could gain another member in the next few years. According to our sources, the bosses in Munich are exploring the idea of a BMW X8 SUV which – as the name suggests – will sit above the upcoming X7 seven seater.
Although some design cues of the X8 will follow the same recipe that BMW applies to the X4 and X6, the rumor is that BMW will not be making a bigger X6, but rather will implement the dynamic and sporty style of a typical X model. The X8 will also not be a coupe version of the X7.
Rendering BMW X8
With the ever growing luxury SUV market, BMW is evaluating whether there is interest from its customers to jump into, what could be, their most expensive car ever produced. We’ve recently seen a wide range of high-end, luxury SUVs, from the Bentley Bentayga to the new Lamborghini Urus and the upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
In the X8, one of the top priorities is to give the passengers the same rear seats feel like in a 7 Series, with enough headroom and a roof line that is far more handsome than any of the current BMW crossovers. Luxury at its finest, sophisticated technology and autonomous driving features are just as equally important for the X8 project.
The project is still in the approval stage and a decision will be made later this year.
BMW X8 SUV in planning stages in Munich
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BMW M
BMW M GmbH, formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a subsidiary of
BMW AG that manufactures high-performance luxury cars. BMW M ("M" for "motorsport")
was initially created to facilitate BMW's racing program, which was very successful
in the 1960s and 1970s. As time passed, BMW M began to supplement BMW's vehicle
portfolio with specially modified higher trim models, for which they are now most
known by the general public. These M-badged cars traditionally include modified engines,
transmissions, suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics, and exterior modifications
to set them apart from their counterparts. All M models are tested and tuned at BMW's
private facility at the Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany.
Official website: BMW M
Official website: BMW M
