BMW 8 comes back with a bang

The BMW 8 series was a hugely desirable pop-up festooned GT car from the early 90's. Powered by V12 engines with pillarless doors and big wheels and fancy interiors, it was just too advanced for its time to actually sell in numbers – making it a rare, sleek BMW from one of the best design eras the German marque has had.

Now, the 8 is back. And they're definitely making it. Unveiled at the 2017 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the Concept 8-Series is slated for production in 2018 and is going to be BMW's flagship sports-car.

The design brief was definitely meant to bring the 8 into modern times. The visual link with the previous 8 is just the Hoffmeister kink in the side window profile, and that's it. The kidney grilles are set to be the largest in the BMW range, continuing with the recent tradition of giving the flagship model the largest grille. Front to back, it isn't really sleek, but it IS drop dead gorgeous in a hyper-modern, vaguely Aston Martin-ish way. We're just not sure if those oversized kidney grilles work with the rest of the stunning bodywork.

There's no word on the drivetrain yet, although you should expect the regular BMW levels of refinement and modern efficiency. That most likely means there won't be a thumping great V12 under the hood, instead going for a small displacement turbocharged V8 for the highest spec, more in tune with the times.

It might not be as heartache inducing as the original, but it's still brilliant.