Do you remember that gorgeous BMW CS concept that emerged a couple of months ago? Well, it now looks set to return as a production-ready successor to the 8-Series.
At the Tokyo Motor Show, BMW’s North American CEO Tom Purves announced that the company will build a production model of the CS Concept that was unveiled earlier this year. Rumour has it that the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Maserati Quattroporte-fighting CS Concept, which is expected to debut in Frankfurt next year, will most likely carry the 8-Series badge and will be the equivalent of a four-door GT.
This announcement puts an end to the reports that said a production model would never see the light of day. In fact, BMW seems exceptionally eager to build this model. “Our dealers, having seen the photos, are very excited,” Purves said. “They love it. If media and dealers like it, there’s a good chance the customers will.”
This imposing vehicle, with high-mounted LED headlamps tapering nose section and an aggressive, gaping restyle of those signature twin kidney grilles, puts one in mind of a larger, more aggressive take on the short-lived Z8 – or even the Maserati Quattroporte, against which it could theoretically compete. Other styling features, such as flared wheel arches housing 21-inch alloy wheels and a squat, muscular rear add to the aggressive appearance of the car, somewhat at odds with other models that the CS could potentially compete with, such as the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide.
The 5,1 metre CS Concept is said to share its platform with the next-generation 7 Series and could be powered by a 6,0-litre V12 derived from the 5,0-litre V10 unit currently doing service in the M5 and M6.
As mentioned in a previous article, other future plans for BMW include adding to the X range with the addition of a compact stablemate for the X6 concept, in the form of an X1. This soft-roader is said to be direct competition for the Audi Q3, Mercedes GLK and the Ford Kuga. Utilising the four-wheel drive set-up found in the X3, the X1 will use of engines that feature in the current 1-Series range.
There is also talk of the introduction of a totally new model dubbed the PAS, or Progressive Activity Sedan. This fundamentally altered concept is said to bring about a new interpretation of the saloon as we know it and surprise the public with intelligent features. There was first an idea of introducing a Mercedes R-Class competitor, with the so-called V-Series “Space-Function Concept”. This idea has been scrapped, and BMW has decided to go the route of the PAS.
