What's all this about?

BMW is bringing the 8 Series back to life.

Crikey Moses! Will it have pop-up headlamps?!

Erm... no. Look closely at this teaser image: you can see the headlamps are faired-in.

Pity. So what do we know about it?

Not much. Big BMW boss-man Harald Krüger confirmed the 8 Series' resurrection at the AGM held on May 11th and a concept car version of the grandiose coupe will be displayed at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at the end of the month. BMW promises that the concept car 'embodies uncompromising dynamics and contemporary luxury - the essence of a modern BMW coupe'. And a production version of the 8 Series will hit world markets in 2018.

So... is the 6 Series going to be canned again?

No, no, no! The 6 Series continues unabated; rather than replacing it (for a generation), as the original Eight did from 1989-1999 while the Six was on hiatus, the new 8 Series will be a bigger, grander, quicker machine than the 6 Series. Which gives Audi and its R8, Porsche and its faster 911s, and a whole host of other high-end car manufacturers plenty to think about. Especially as there's likely to be an M8...

Cor! Does Krüger say anything else at this stage?

Yes, he explained: "The BMW 8 Series Coupe will build on our tradition of luxurious sports coupes and add a genuine dream car to our line-up - a slice of pure automotive fascination. The 8 Series Coupe will underpin our claim to leadership in the luxury segment. I can tell you today that this will be a true luxury sports coupe."