BMWs 8 Series lineup has received a mid-life facelift. Can the BMW 8 Series Tow? Need a towbar? Want to carry Bikes with your 8 Series?

BMWs 8 Series lineup has received a mid-life facelift.  Can the BMW 8 Series Tow? Need a towbar? Want to carry Bikes with your 8 Series?

The 8 Series continues to be available in three body styles – two-door Coupe and Convertible and four-door Gran Coupe. 

Subtle styling changes, most notably a redesigned U-shaped bars in the signature kidney grille - which illuminates.

Handsome, comfortable, powerful, and luxurious, the BMW 8 Series is a luxury coupe that’s designed to offer the best BMW can muster.  The 8 Series still uses a mix of high-strength steel, aluminium, magnesium and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic in its construction to keep weight down and in turn improve both handling and fuel economy.

The BMW 8 Series has been a great looking car since it debuted but its lack of sales means BMW isn’t going to continue to invest heavily into it, hence the ultra-minimal LCI facelift

The facelift applies to all body variants. There are no major changes, BMW has just refined its top model. The most important modifications can be summarized quickly: the front has been revised, the M sports package is now standard, and the infotainment screen has grown to 12.3 inches.

Nothing changes under the hood, as before, there are all 8-series variants with six and eight cylinders. 
A particularly noticeable change concerns the kidneys: they are illuminated after the facelift. In addition, the individual kidney rods are now given a U-shape. With the now-standard M sports package, the facelifted 8 Series appears even more dynamic. In addition to aprons and sills with a sporty design painted in the vehicle colour, it includes horizontal struts in the lower air intakes at the front and diffuser inserts in the rear apron in anthracite metallic.

19-inch wheels in a double-spoke design with mixed tires are now standard, as are M sport brakes with blue callipers. The most powerful regular 8-series, the M850i, still drives on 20-inch wheels, has an even more powerful M sports brake system and an M sports differential. With the facelift, it also gets new, more aerodynamically designed side mirrors in the style of the M8.

There are no big jumps in the interior either. Thanks to the now-standard M sports package, all 8-series versions now have an M leather steering wheel with shift paddles. The M850i ​​is distinguished by a modified central spoke and decorative stitching in the M colours. Also from the M sports package, both coupe variants and the convertible come with an anthracite-coloured headliner, M pedals including footrests for the driver, and special floor mats.

Even the base comes with electrically adjustable multifunction seats including lumbar support and Merino leather interior from BMW Individual with leather-covered dashboard and door panels. Speaking of door panels: Here BMW is now running the buttons in the same decor as the trim strips – previously they were black. BMW is also improving the central display; which grows from 10.25 to 12.3 inches and is now the same size as the digital instrument display.  While the BMW Drive Recorder – an integrated dashcam system – is now standard across the range.

Also standard is the 'CraftedClarity' glass gear selector, iDrive controller, and start/stop button.

The facelift does not bring any changes to the engines. The coupe, gran coupe, and Cabrio still come with six or eight cylinders, and the performance hasn’t changed either. The basis is still the BMW 840i. The petrol engine with a three-litre straight-six produces 333 hp. It remains the only engine that is also available with rear-wheel drive; the other two units have all-wheel drive as standard. But you can also get it for the standard petrol engine.

The sole diesel engine works in the 840d. Here, too, there are six cylinders in a row, also with a displacement of three litres. Thanks to the 48-volt mild hybrid system, the 340 hp of the combustion engine is briefly supported by eleven electric hp if required. The most powerful regular 8 remains the M850i ​​with a 4.4-litre V8 and 530 hp.

Skyscraper Grey Metallic, San Remo Green Metallic, M Portimao Blue Metallic and BMW Individual Frozen Tanzanite Blue Metallic have been added to the model’s colour options.
BMW is also offering M850i buyers the option to include retro ‘BMW Motorsport’ badges across the car to celebrate BMW M’s 50th anniversary.

So can the 8 Series tow?  The simple answer is no. BUT, we now have a bike towbar available, as we regularly get questions from cyclists as a roof rack is out of the question.  Many want to take their bikes with them on weekend drives.  
We now have an invisible towbar available for the entire 8 Series line-up including the M variants to enable use with a ball-mounted bike/ski carrier.  Obviously, you cannot tow with your BMW but our bike towbar solutions is rated for 65kgs on the ball, so enough to take 2 bikes along.

In stock and ready to ship to your door - order your BMW 8 Series bike towbar today.