Softened shark

As Villa d’Este approaches, manufacturers are beginning to take the covers off their concept cars, hoping to wow the assembled design devotees on the shores of Lake Como. BMW plans to bring something special to the fold in the form of the Concept 8 Series, the next instalment in the firm’s planned rule of the luxury class, which is slated for launch in 2018. As with the 1990s heavyweight it pays homage to, the concept promises a peerless combination of dynamic driving and comfort, clothed in an elegant yet muscular body. While it may lack the seminal pop-up headlights of the E31 original, and likely its thumping V8s and wailing V12s also, the design team hasn’t indulged in faux-retro features and instead produced an undeniably BMW profile, which is sure to delight and divide in equal measure…

Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver © 2017