Large, swoopy grand touring cars are a rarity these days, but a few automakers remain committed to the format. BMW’s 8 Series is a great example, offering a range of high-performance engines, an opulent interior, and three body styles to choose from.

2026 BMW 8 Series Pricing, Specs, and Release Date

• What’s New for the 2026 BMW 8 Series
• Design
• Powertrain
• Interior
• Technology
• Safety
• Pricing and Release Date
• Further Research

What’s New for the 2026 BMW 8 Series

While much of BMW’s lineup has seen significant changes in the last couple of years, the 8 Series has remained mostly static. It enters 2026 with no notable updates to report for the model line as a whole, but BMW has introduced a new M850i Edition M Heritage. Only 500 will be sold.

Design

The 8 Series is available as a convertible, coupe, or Gran Coupe. All three feature long lines, gentle curves, and an expansive hood. All body styles are long and imposing, and the two-door models look truly menacing with the available wheel and trim options.

The new M850i Edition M Heritage gets a unique 20-inch wheel style as well as five available exterior colors that harken back to the introduction of the original 8 Series. It also features a carbon fiber roof with M stripes.

Powertrain

BMW offers a range of powertrains for the 2026 8 Series. The base engine is a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, making 335 horsepower. The M850i comes with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that makes 523 horsepower, while the M8 Competition’s V8 delivers 617 horsepower. An Alpina variant is also available, which has the same V8 with 612 horsepower. While the beefy V8s are headline-worthy, the base six-cylinder engine is nothing to sneeze at. It’s capable of propelling the car from zero to 60 mph in just under 4.5 seconds.

Interior

The coupe and convertible models seat four, but the Gran Coupe seats five, though its back seat offers limited headroom, thanks to its sloping roofline. Merino leather upholstery is standard, along with heated front seats. Ventilated front seats and heated rear seats are available. Cargo space is generous for the class, at 14.8 cubic feet in coupes and 15.5 cubic feet in the Gran Coupe.

The limited M850i Edition M Heritage gets the M Sport seats with BMW Individual upholstery.

Technology

A 12.3-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster come standard, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other standard tech features include navigation, a Harman Kardon sound system, SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth, LED ambient interior lighting, and more. BMW offers upgraded stereo options, wireless charging, and premium climate control options. Screens in the 8 Series are large and bright, making it easy to see and interact with the system, but BMW packed so many features into the interface that it can be overwhelming to use at first. That said, it’s highly configurable, so it can become easier to use after a proper setup.

Safety

The 2026 BMW 8 Series is too new to have been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Standard safety tech includes automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, a head-up display, automatic high beams, rain-sensing wipers, and a rearview camera. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, parking assistance, traffic-jam assist, and traffic-sign recognition are available.

Pricing and Release Date

As of this writing, pricing for the 2026 BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe starts at $93,500. The Alpina B8 starts at $151,500, and the M8 Competition costs $140,000 to start. The coupe starts at $93,500, and all models are available now on BMW’s website. The special M850i Edition M Heritage is expected in early 2026.

Further Research on the 2026 BMW 8 Series and its Competitors

2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review

2025 Porsche 911 Review

2026 BMW 5 Series Review