Start of production for three new BMW 8 Series models

Dingolfing. Today, no fewer than three new models from the BMW 8 Series family will all go into production at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing: the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, the new M8 Competition Coupé  (fuel consumption combined: 10.6 – 10.5 l/100 km (26.6 – 26.9 mpg imp); CO2 emissions combined: 242 – 238 g/km*) and the new M8 Competition Convertible (fuel consumption combined: 10.8 – 10.6 l/100 km (26.2 – 26.6 mpg imp); CO2 emissions combined: 246 – 241 g/km*). This brings the total number of luxurious sports coupé variants built at the plant in Lower Bavaria to five, with the sixth family member already on the horizon: The BMW M8 Gran Coupé will also celebrate its world premiere later this year, as the Dingolfing plant expands its position as the BMW brand’s primary plant for luxury cars and continues its product offensive in this segment.

The new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé

The new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé from BMW Group Plant Dingolfing offers the best of both worlds. This four-door model is a genuine sports car that combines spaciousness in the rear with all the benefits of a luxury sedan. The Gran Coupé is 231 mm longer and 61 mm taller than the regular Coupé. The 28 mm wider rear axle sets a new production record: No other BMW brand vehicle has a wider rear axle.

The panoramic glass roof option, available exclusively in the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé, creates a continuous transparent area from the windscreen to the rear window. To ensure seamless integration into the vehicle roof, this is already fitted in the paint shop. The additional weight of this four-door variant, at around 70 kilograms more than the BMW 8 Series Coupé, is moderate, however – thanks to an intelligent material mix, with doors and flaps made of aluminium and the boot lid formed from SMC plastic.

The exceptional balance between performance and supreme long-distance comfort is best experienced in the rear seats of the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé. The rear seat bench, which is styled as individual seats, features two integral head rests.

The new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé will roll off the production line at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, along with the BMW 5 Series, 7 Series and remaining 8 Series variants. The Gran Coupé is expected to make up over half BMW 8 Series volumes, making it the most-produced variant of the BMW 8 Series family. The luxury sports coupé is proving especially popular with customers in the United States, which is expected to account for almost a third of sales, followed by the Middle East region and the UK market.

The three engine variants available for the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé from market launch in autumn 2019 reflect the four-door luxury coupé’s breadth of character. In addition to the range-topping 530 hp 4.4 litre eight-cylinder petrol engine and a 320 hp six-cylinder inline diesel unit with impressive traction, a high-revving 3.0 litre six-cylinder inline petrol engine with a maximum output of 340 hp is now also available for the first time.

New BMW M8 Competition Coupé and Convertible

The upper end of the BMW 8 Series family’s performance range is clearly defined by the new BMW M8 Competition Coupé and the new BMW M8 Competition Convertible. With these high-performance sportscars, Plant Dingolfing is venturing into a new performance range in the luxury segment. The most powerful engine in the BMW Group’s model line-up delivers 625 hp. The 4.4 l V8 engine takes the BMW M8 Competition Coupé from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. In combination with the M Driver’s Package offered as an option, the top speed is not electronically limited until 305 km/h.

The interior of the BMW M sportscar from Dingolfing pairs the sporty character of a high-performance vehicle with the luxurious ambience created by stylish details and meticulous workmanship. The character-defining features of the new BMW M8 Coupé include the double-bubble contour of its carbon-fibre reinforced plastic roof (CFRP), which is manufactured in an innovative wet compression process at Plant Dingolfing.

Around 60 BMW M8s leave the Dingolfing facility every day. Each vehicle undergoes a final quality inspection on the plant’s own break-in course prior to delivery. The luxury sports coupé’s biggest sales are expected to come from the US, with well over a third of all units likely to be sold there. No other market comes close. Both Coupé and Convertible body variants are equally popular with BMW M8 customers.

The BMW Group Plant Dingolfing

Plant Dingolfing is one of the BMW Group’s 31 global production sites. At Plant 02.40, about 1,500 cars of the BMW 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Series roll off the assembly lines every day. In total, the plant manufactured nearly 330,000 cars in 2017. At present, a total of approx. 18,000 people and 800 apprentices work at the BMW Group’s site in Dingolfing.

In addition to the automotive core production, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing is also home to production facilities for vehicle components such as pressed parts, seats as well as chassis and drive components. Due to the plant’s aluminium expertise in vehicle construction and longstanding experience in producing alternative drives, BMW Group Plant Dingolfing furthermore provides crucial components for the BMW i models – such as high-voltage battery, e-transmission and the drive structure – to the production site in Leipzig. In addition, Dingolfing produces both high voltage batteries and electric engines for the BMW Group’s plug-in hybrid models.

The car bodies for all Rolls-Royce models are also manufactured at the site. The Dynamics Centre, a large storage and transshipment facility, provides the global BMW and MINI dealership organization with original parts and equipment.