BMW’s flagship vehicles secure in Australia – for now

The BMW M8 Coupe has been axed within the US, however the firm’s native arm has caught behind its flagship M vary and the tamer 8 Sequence.

“The BMW 8 Sequence and BMW M8 Competitors variants proceed to symbolize an essential a part of our mannequin lineup, and there are not any plans at this stage to discontinue them for Australian prospects,” mentioned a spokesperson for BMW Australia.

That refers back to the total 8 Sequence and M8 vary. BMW Australia gives the 840i in coupe, convertible and Gran Coupe (sedan) physique types, whereas the M8 is obtainable in Competitors guise as both a coupe or four-door Gran Coupe.

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At $380,000 earlier than on-roads, the M8 Competitors Coupe is the most costly mannequin BMW Australia at the moment gives.

BMW Weblog reported phrase from BMW in December within the type of a seller bulletin that mentioned M8 Coupe manufacturing would finish in early 2025 and that there can be no mannequin 12 months 2026 (MY26) model to switch it.

That would depart BMW M’s flagship mannequin vary with solely Gran Coupe and convertible physique types. The latter isn’t supplied right here.

It’s unclear when or certainly whether or not a substitute for the present 8 Sequence and M8 will likely be launched. The present-generation line entered manufacturing again in 2018, arriving right here in 2019.

BMW Weblog experiences a substitute had beforehand been slated for 2026, providing each internal-combustion and electrical energy and using the present CLAR structure, however that sources subsequently confirmed a closing resolution on its improvement had but to be made.

With a substitute not but confirmed, the outlet notes that ought to it lastly be green-lit it could be unlikely to seem earlier than the top of the last decade.

The 8 Sequence was launched as a flagship grand tourer line for BMW, filling the void left by the demise of the extra inexpensive 6 Sequence Gran Coupe, coupe and convertible.

BMW has flipped backwards and forwards between providing 6 Sequence and eight Sequence fashions because the Nineteen Eighties, with the earlier 8 Sequence being in manufacturing from 1990 to 1999.

Although a prototype M8 model of this was developed, it by no means entered manufacturing although the E31-generation 8 Sequence was supplied with a spread of V8 and V12 engines.

The present 8 Sequence has little in the best way of direct competitors.

Whereas Lexus has its LC coupe and convertible, two-door variations of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class had been axed in 2020, whereas different equally priced coupes and convertibles are usually extra overtly sporty and equally priced four-door fashions have extra typical sedan silhouettes than the 8 Sequence/M8 Gran Coupe.

The Audi A7 Sportback is less expensive, with the Porsche Panamera being the 8 Sequence and M8 Gran Coupe’s solely different potential rival.

Final 12 months, BMW Australia offered 25 two-door 8 Sequence automobiles inclusive of the M8 Coupe, in addition to 14 Gran Coupe automobiles. These had been drops of 54.5 per cent and 66.7 per cent respectively.

That noticed it outsold by the 7 Sequence (85 gross sales together with 36 electrical i7s), in addition to BMW’s flagship XM SUV (144 gross sales). For context, Lexus delivered 51 LCs in Australia in 2024.

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