This is How The BMW 8 Series Compares to The Concept

The 2017 concept is perfectly represented by the 8 Series, which can be driven on roads.

After nearly 20 years, the BMW 8 Series is back on the market. It’s stunning by all accounts. The distinctive dual kidney grille of the Bavarian, as well as sleek LED headlights and a large lower grille, highlight the sharp fascia. The back features a lot of the same sculpted styling, including the taillights and dual exhaust tips.

While the 8 Series production model is beautiful, most of these cues were inspired by 2017’s 8 Series concept. Here’s how the road-going 8 Series compares to the concept that was unveiled last August at Pebble Beach.

The 8 Series concept has many of the same styling elements as the production model. The M850i xDrive model has a dual kidney grille connected in the middle. It is wrapped in silver detailing and vertical slats. Carbon Package (pictured here in orange) has more sinister black accent details.

The sleek, angular headlights use the same dual-halo LED treatment as the concept. Both have a prominent upper LED light bar. The 8 Series has lost the prominent feature of its bumper with the sculpted accenting diffusers at each end. Instead, the 8er gets a subtle tri-grille treatment.

Side profile is hands down one of the most striking angles on the 8 Series. Although the profile of the production model is slightly different from the concept, the sleek roofline as well as the limited greenhouse are retained. The 8 Series now has more production-ready features, including a sharper side vent and sharper wheels. Also, the taillights wrap around the rear bumper to the rear-third of the vehicle.

The backside of the original 8 Series concept was not ready for production. It featured a minimal taillight design and significant sculpting to its rear vents. Designers were able transform many of these cues into something much more road-ready and, arguably, more appealing.

The 8 Series production model has similar styling, but the taillights are embedded more into the body and accented with white reverse lights. Although the dual exhaust tips are still present, they are now more squared-off than the concept. The rear vents have lost some of their dramatic edges.

Although the inside of the 8 Series concept was not yet ready for production, it gave some clues about its final design. The central stack design is almost identical to the original concept. Also, both the concept model and the production model have the carbon fiber treatment as well as the gear shifter.

Unfortunately, the 8 Series production steering wheel is far from the concept. The many silver features of 2017 have been replaced by leather. Although the seats aren’t as sporty as the concept, they look just like it. We are hoping that the seats with similar features will be able to replace the .

The new 8 Series is stunning, regardless of the circumstances.