BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe Concept to be the next 8 Series?

At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013, BMW surprised attendees with a new concept called the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe. The concept is a result of the first collaboration between BMW and Italian design-firm Pininfarina
– what we like to think of as a killer-combination.

BMW hasn’t  said what the Gran Lusso Coupe is but in a statement the German automaker said “Working in close consultation, the two design teams have created a new automotive persona brimming with character and ready to join the high-end luxury class – typically BMW while sporting the distinctive signature of Pininfarina.”

Now you can take that for whatever you think it means but word on the street is that the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe hints at the spiritual successor to the iconic 8 Series. Rumors of the revival of the 8 Series have been going on for a couple of years but every time BMW is questioned about such a move, the company denies any possibility of an 8 Series successor – simply stating that the 6 Series Coupe fills that gap.

However, it now seems the BMW has scummed to its fans wanting a successor to the 8 Series. From what we gather, the successor to the 8 Series – if it becomes a reality – will be a very high-end luxury coupe that will carry a starting price tag of somewhere north of $80,000 to $90,000 (think of it as a BMW 7 Series Coupe).

“The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé has an extraordinary impact. It expresses hallmark BMW values such as luxury and sheer presence in a highly elegant form,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “I admire the reductive clarity and precision in Pininfarina’s design. Their expectations for the end result have been just as high as ours, and their understanding of design perfectly complements the BMW design DNA for a vehicle of this kind.”

The last BMW 8 Series rolled of the production line in 1999. For those familiar with the car, the model was a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupe powered by a V12 engine. Similarly the BMW Gran Lusso Coupe is a rear-wheel-drive, front-engined concept powered by a V12 engine. Which just goes to show that even though Pininfarina had its hands on this new BMW concept, the model didn’t lose its heritage or focus.

“The result of this cooperative venture is far greater than the sum of its parts,” says Fabio Filippini, Head of Design at Pininfarina. “When two such tradition-rich and experienced brands join forces to turn a vision into reality, something utterly new and exciting emerges. From start to finish, this project was defined by a mutual respect for the identity of the other company.”

While we have no clue what BMW has up its sleeves with the Gran Lusso Coupe – we do know that the company has a history of making its coupes become a reality. If we were to guess, you can expect to see a production version of the Gran Lusso Coupe some time in 2015 – especially since the interior resembles a fully-finished production version of current BMW cabins.