Rumors of an all-new BMW X8 has been around for a long time, but recently BMW chairman Oliver Zipse confirmed the flagship SUV. “Another high-end car” will be introduced at the end of the year, and since it will be built at the Spartanburg plant, it must be an SUV as the factory in South Carolina is where the X3 through X6 models are manufactured , complete with their M versions, as well as the X7.
Looking at the rendered images, from split headlights to stacked exhaust tips, the BMW X8 (or is it the XM?) will have a polarizing design , perhaps even more of a love/hate affair than the iX.
Besides, while the X8 is not designed with the vertical kidneys of the BMW iX and other recent BMW models, the large size of the grille will give the range-topping SUV an ostentatious front fascia. The artist sketched this rendering forgot to put in the fuel cap, and there should be two of them as rumors suggest the SUV will boast a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
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The new SUV will carry the “Project Rockstar” codename. This will be the X8 / XM is said to become BMW’s most powerful SUV in history by combining the V8 with an electric motor for a total output exceeding the 700-hp mark for the hotter Competition version. Obviously, it will be an xDrive-only affair.
Because the all new BMW X8 will be classified as the sportiest X model of the bunch, it might remove the X7’s third row in a bid to reduce some weight. The sloping roofline as shown in the figure shows limited headroom in the back, but BMW designers are very flexible and so it is difficult to predict exactly what design the Bavarians are planning. The fact an SUV positioned above the X7 is in the offing is itself somewhat surprising.
We still know very little about the X8, but Oliver Zipse told CNBC it’s going to be a “brand-new model, high-end for the American market but also for the world market.” It can be sold next year in the US where it will have a six-figure starting price since the X7 M50i already for up to $99,800
Source Motor1 , Kolesa
