July 10, 2018—BMW has begun production of the new 8 Series coupe, which features a heavy mix of materials in its makeup, reported MotorTrend.
The sports coupe employs a number of lightweight materials to keep its curb weight down to 4,478 pounds. Steel, plastic, aluminum, and carbon fiber are used throughout the body, while the roof, doors, hood, front firewall, and supporting structures are made of aluminum.
The roof is also available in carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, the first for a series-production BMW model.
Along with automated innovations in the production plant itself, the 2019 BMW Series 8 coupe makes 523 hp and 533 pound-foot of torque from its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, according to the report. This engine works in tandem with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system that has a rear-wheel bias. BMW claims it can hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.
The BMW 8 Series coupe enters production alongside the 5 Series and 7 Series. At launch, it will be available in the M850i xDrive trim. Prices for this model start at $112,895.
