Rather than letting it linger until its inevitable demise, BMW is pampering the 8 Series with a special version. M boss Frank van Meel broke the news at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in an interview with our German colleagues at Bimmer Today. The mayor of M Town said it’s coming later this year and will be a limited-run edition based on the M850i.
We’ll have to wait and see which body style it’ll be based on, as the M Performance 8 Series is still offered as a Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe. Whatever BMW has planned for the M850i, expect to pay six figures. The Coupe starts at $110,575 before options in the United States. Its more practical four-door Gran Coupe counterpart costs the same, while the Convertible starts at $120,275.
The M850i has already entered the 2026 model year in the U.S. It’s likely the last hurrah for the 8 Series, with production for all markets reportedly ending in 2026. There’s seemingly no replacement in sight, though a fully electric Gran Coupe might arrive further down the line. In the meantime, the M division is preparing what appears to be a sendoff for the second-generation model. Some might argue that it has already happened with the Skytop and Speedtop, both of which are based on the M8.
How could BMW spice up the 8 Series for its grand finale? Although we’d like one, don’t expect a CS version. A Competition Sport would need to be based on the M8, but Frank van Meel specifically mentioned the lesser M850i. Instead, we imagine the M Performance model will receive the Individual treatment inside and out, along with perhaps a few exclusive accents. With no details shared yet, all we can do is speculate on how BMW plans to retire the 8.
There’s more to come from M in the remaining months of the year. Frank van Meel says additional special editions are in the pipeline for select markets, but there won’t be any entirely new products. He mentioned the 3 Series and its 50th anniversary editions, which have so far been released in China and Australia. “A few other things are happening” until the end of 2025, but BMW is keeping those plans under wraps.
Attached below is the full interview in German; however, YouTube’s auto-dubbing feature should be helpful.
Source: Bimmer Today / YouTube