What It Is: BMW’s upcoming 7-series-based 8-series coupe, covered in camouflage and penned in among other BMW prototypes. Expected to be larger than today’s two-door 6-series (the 6 can also be had in four-door Gran Coupe form), the 8-series will serve as BMW’s flagship coupe, just as its eponymous forebear did before it was discontinued in 1999. An interesting history note: When the original 8-series debuted in 1990, the smaller, less expensive 6-series went out of production—only to return a few years after the 8-series, which only survived for a single generation, faded from BMW showrooms. History will not repeat itself this time, however, as we anticipate BMW will add the 8-series to the lineup, keeping the smaller 6-series around to do battle with Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming E-class coupe.

Why It Matters: Mercedes-Benz is moving back into the mega-upscale, mega-expensive two-door space with its gorgeous S-class–based coupe and cabriolet, and BMW must think there’s room for two Germans at that table. We think that a successor to the original 8-series, if it is somewhat sporty in the BMW vein, would make for an interesting alternative to the cushy, unabashedly comfort-oriented full-size Mercedes two-door, not to mention Bentley’s Continental or the next-generation Maserati GranTurismo.

View Photos BRIAN WILLIAMS

Platform: The 8-series will sit on a version of the latest 7-series sedan’s lightweight, semi-carbon-fiber architecture. This will place the 8 above the 6-series in BMW’s hierarchy (as if its higher numerical name didn’t give that away), even though the next-generation 6 is expected to use the smaller version of this same 7-derived platform that also will be shared with the 2017 5-series sedan.

Now that we have our series in series, we should mention that the 8-series will wear more expressive styling than the 7, as our artist’s rendering (above) shows. Based on the rendering, as well as what we can see from our spy photographer’s shots, the 8 likely will bear a close resemblance to BMW’s 2014 Vision Future Luxury concept, pinched headlights and all. The camouflaged prototype also shows off a significantly longer hood than the 6-series and far more space between the doors and the rear wheel opening. The rear seats may actually be habitable! More to the point, the 8-series clearly rides on a long wheelbase, although not one quite as long as the 7’s, and looks to be quite large. The roofline follows a graceful arc from above the driver’s head all the way to a subtle lip spoiler at the end of the trunklid, and the taillights appear to be inspired by those on the Vision Future Luxury concept. Although we only have spy photos of the 8-series coupe, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to anticipate a convertible version arriving in the future. BMW, after all, sells a softtop 6-series, and Mercedes-Benz offers the S-class cabriolet.

View Photos BRIAN WILLIAMS

Powertrain: Any 7-series powertrain likely can fit in the 8-series’ engine bay, but we doubt BMW would include some of the 7’s more pedestrian offerings such as the 740e plug-in hybrid four-cylinder/electric combo or Europe’s diesels and four-cylinder 730i. In keeping with the two-door 8’s sportier vibe, the 740i’s powerful twin-turbocharged inline-six and the 750i’s twin-turbocharged V-8 are almost a given, while the 7’s available twin-turbocharged V-12 would make for an excellent range topper (and a nice foil to Benz’s S65 AMG coupe and cabriolet). BMW’s original 8-series offered a V-12 with a manual transmission, but the modern 8 will be automatic only, with every iteration using a ZF eight-speed. Rear-wheel drive will be the standard configuration, and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive setup will be optional or possibly standard on higher-output models.

Competition: Bentley Continental, Mercedes-Benz S-class coupe.

Estimated Arrival and Price: The completeness of this 8-series prototype suggests that the coupe is close to reaching showrooms—or at least an official debut. It should go on sale next year as a 2018 model and likely will cost more than an equivalent 7-series, with a starting price around $80,000.

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