BMW’s head of development has admitted that there “is room” for a flagship X8 at the very summit of the Munich-based automaker’s range, although he stopped short of officially confirming the new model.
Talking to Autocar, Klaus Fröhlich, member of the board responsible for development, said that an X8 was under consideration.
“The sector is growing fast, so there will be opportunity,” Fröhlich said, hinting that the poshest version of the proposed X8 could go up against even the likes of the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
“It is early to talk about X8, but one of the first decisions I made when I worked on product strategy was to take the X5 and make the X6,” he added, suggesting the X8 may well turn out to be a coupé-style take on the upcoming X7.
“Everyone said it was not necessary, but it worked. Now we have the X2, X4 and X6. They are emotional and sporty derivatives that work for us.
“There is room for X8 – especially in markets like China – but there are no decisions yet. Each car must have a distinct character, and these are the sort of areas that take time to evaluate,” Fröhlich said.
In the report, Autocar speculated that the X8 would arrive “around 2020” (sharing its platform with the X7), adding that it would likely be the highest-priced model in the BMW range. The British publication furthermore suggested that the 6,6-litre V12 used in the M760Li was likely to be the flagship engine.
