The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

bite cars control panel for adjusting the temperature. If you thought that was all, you’ll be pleased to know that the extended centre console is exclusive to the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé model, as is the rear seat unit featuring outer seats styled as individual seats. The rear seats feature lateral support and integral head restraints but it also has a third seat nestled between the two outer seats with a com- plete seatbelt system that is suitable to use on short journeys, making the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé a 4+1-seater. The front sports seats are designed with head restraints in- tegrated into the backrests, with an electric seat adjustment and a standard memory function for both the driver and front passenger. These seats are made with a standard-spec- ification Vernasca leather trim which is available in Black, Cognac, and Ivory White while the list of optional extras include BMW Individual Merino leather trim with extended appointments and BMW Individual full leather trim. These come in the same colours with the addition of Midnight Blue/Ivory White and Tartufo/Ivory White. Thanks to the extra 201mm of wheelbase over the BMW 8 Series Coupé as well as the generously sized door apertures, passengers will enjoy increased legroom and easier access. The Gran Coupé offers substantially greater shoulder room and headroom than in the two-door version. The stand- ard-fit ambient lighting uses LED fibre optic light guides that run along the contour lines of the centre console and the door shoulders in the front and rear. Exterior Identical to the 8 Series Coupé’s front design, the Gran Coupé has a windscreen frame that is slightly more upright and a roofline that rises to a greater height by the time it reaches the front seats, meaning there is additional front and rear headroom. The rear window follows a slightly steeper line in order to produce a larger boot aperture while the surface contours around the C-pillars which is facilitated by a rear window that forms a fixed part of the body structure and a conventional boot lid. At the rear, the slim twin headlights are positioned slightly higher and defines the brand’s signature look with LED units generating both the daytime driving lights and low/ high-beam headlights from the two pairs of light tubes. The adaptive LED headlights feature variable light distribution and cornering lights come as standard. There is also the option of BMW Laserlight with variable road illumination and Selective Beam which produces a high-beam range of around 600 metres. Interestedly, the side view is composed of just a few charac- ter lines that trace the flow of air exiting the Air Breathers. At this point, the side window graphic reaches its conclusion at the rear in another hallmark BMW design cue called the Hofmeister kink. At the rear, the twin exhaust tailpipes have a trapezoidal contour positioned either side of the rear apron’s lower section while the tailpipes are integrated into the diffuser element on the BMWM850i xDrive Gran Coupé and on models specified with the M Sport package. There is an optional panoramic glass roof that is specific to the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé. The continuous glass surface extends from the windscreen back to the rear win- dow and results in a total glass surface area of around 1.5sq. m, and has an electric mechanism at the front of the section that allows it to be opened and closed at the touch of a button or with the radio remote control, while the rear blind