Munich. The most beautiful, exclusive and fastest vehicles of their respective eras are traditionally assembled at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. This year, the renowned classic car show in the north-east of the US state of Florida provided the perfect setting for the world premiere of particularly fascinating sports cars from the BMW model range. The new edition of the BMW 8 Series and the new BMW M8 models were presented to the public there for the first time. Visitors to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 2022 also witnessed the launch of BMW M GmbH’s activities to mark its 50th anniversary.

For the new BMW 8 Series, the tradition-steeped event on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the neighbouring Golf Club of Amelia Island provided the perfect setting in which to showcase its precisely enhanced design and advanced features. The M sports package is now standard in all model variants of the BMW 8 Series Coupé, the BMW 8 Series Convertible and the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé. At the centre of the redesigned vehicle front section is the illuminated “Iconic Glow” BMW kidney grille. The 8-cylinder models also feature aerodynamically optimised exterior mirrors in the style of the BMW M8 as standard.

In the interior of all models in the new BMW 8 Series, their equally dynamic and exclusive character is underscored with an extended range of standard equipment including multifunction seats, an M leather steering wheel and other M-specific design features. Optimised ease of use is ensured by the standard BMW Live Cockpit Professional with a Control Display that has now increased in size to 12.3 inches. “The luxury sports cars of the new BMW 8 Series occupy a prominent position in BMW’s model range. We are delighted to be able to debut these exceptional models at one of the most prestigious automotive events in America,” said Sebastian Mackensen, Head of BMW Group Region Americas and President & CEO BMW North America.

History and the future came together in the BMW M brand’s appearance at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 2022. BMW M GmbH showed pioneering models from its past along with the versions of its high-performance sports cars for the luxury segment that will be available from spring 2022. The models BMW M8 Competition Coupé (combined fuel consumption: 11.4 – 11.0 l/100 km according to WLTP, combined CO2 emissions: 260 – 251 g/km), the BMW M8 Competition Cabriolet (combined fuel consumption: 11.6 – 11.2 l/100 km according to WLTP, combined CO2 emissions: 264 – 255 g/km according to WLTP,) and the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupé (combined fuel consumption: 11.6 – 11.2 l/100 km according to WLTP, combined CO2 emissions: 264 - 256 g/km) are now even more impressive with new exterior paint finishes and M light-alloy wheels, the M Shadow Line lights available for the first time and an additional interior trim variant. The operating system of the new BMW M8 models now also includes a 12.3-inch Control Display with touch function.

And the top models of the BMW M GmbH range not only offer fascinatingly vigorous power delivery with their 460 kW/625 hp V8 engine featuring M TwinPower Turbo technology and high-revving characteristics, they also come with an exceptionally extensive range of standard equipment. This includes a flap-controlled M sports exhaust system, BMW laser light headlights, the BMW Head-Up Display with M-specific display elements and a full Merino/Alcantara leather interior.

With the debut of its latest high-performance models for the luxury segment, BMW M GmbH makes a particularly impressive start to its anniversary year. The BMW Group subsidiary, founded in 1972 as BMW Motorsport GmbH, also contributed to the programme of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 2022 with a fascinating look back into its history. A special exhibition showcased 50 milestones from BMW M GmbH’s 50-year model and racing history. This also included an early precursor of the current BMW M8. The prototype of a high-performance sports car with a V12 engine developed by BMW M GmbH in the early 1990s based on the then BMW 8 Series Coupé remained a one-off – and this was only the second time it has been put on show in the USA.

The selection of vehicles that were particularly influential in the development of BMW M GmbH also included a freshly restored example of the BMW M1 dating from 1980, which was the company’s first independently developed model, the BMW V12 LMR that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999, and the all-electric BMW iX M60 that is about to be launched on the market (combined power consumption: 24.5 – 21.9 kWh/100 km according to WLTP; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km).

This unique exhibition of outstanding BMW M models from five decades also included numerous vehicles owned by members of the BMW Car Club of America and from BMW North America’s classic car collection. “The United States is the world’s largest market for BMW M vehicles and we are always amazed and delighted by the passion and dedication that many enthusiasts here invest in their cars, both old and new,” said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “We feel privileged to be able to celebrate our anniversary in this wonderful place, surrounded by special people and exceptional cars.”

Munich/Miami Beach They are almost everywhere and yet not always easy to find. Large-format graffiti, also known as murals in their most artistic form, are an integral part of the street scene in Miami. The city in the south of the Sunshine State is regarded as the centre of Street Art. On the occasion of Art Basel Miami Beach (5 - 8 December 2019), BMW is accompanying artists Alexandre Arrechea and Spencer "MAR" Guilburt on a discovery tour to the most remarkable examples of modern mural painting in the metropolis on the Atlantic. The visual artist Arrechea and the street art specialist Guilburt will complete their Mural Tour in a vehicle that is also suitable for adding a visual touch to the streets of any urban conurbation. The elegant BMW M850i xDrive Convertible (fuel consumption combined: 10.2 - 10.0 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 231 - 228 g/km) is a prime example of advanced automotive engineering and offers a perfect unobstructed view of the bright blue sky, the spectacular architecture of Miami and the many facades of the city embellished by street artists.

As a long-standing global partner of the renowned Art Basel art fair, BMW is once again involved in Miami, for example with a VIP shuttle service and as part of the joint initiative BMW Art Journey and the BMW 8 Series Mural Tour. Alexandre Arrechea and Spencer "MAR" Guilburt cruise the city in the BMW M850i xDrive Convertible in search of the most fascinating murals. In their conversations they exchange artistic similarities and mutual inspiration for their work. In addition to the facades on which Guilburt has immortalised himself with his murals, one of the stops on their tour will be an excursion to an exhibition of Arrecha's works shown at Art Basel Miami Beach by the Nara Roesler gallery. Street art fans can follow their discovery tour on the artists’ social media channels (@this_means, @alexandrearrechea) and the BMW Group cultural engagement (@bmwgroupculture).

On the Mural Tour through Miami, the BMW M850i xDrive Convertible also shows off its impressive qualities. With its dynamic and elegant appearance, the open four-seater offers the most exclusive way to enjoy driving pleasure in a BMW 8 Series luxury sports car. 15 seconds are all it takes to open or close the classic textile soft top electrically. The luxurious ambience in the interior, the impressive sportiness of the drive and the advanced operating and networking technology form a unique combination, the charm of which is also immediately apparent to the two artists on their journey through the streets of Miami.

However, the performance characteristics of the open four-seater and its racing-inspired V8 engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and 390 kW/530 hp, are only hinted at, for example by the sonorous sound of the standard sports exhaust system and a few short intermediate spurts. The extroverted Sonic Speed Blue metallic paintwork highlights the generous surface design and precise lines of the open-air sports car without any restrictions. Thus the BMW M850i xDrive Convertible turns into an attraction when relaxedly cruising from the Wynwood Art District via South Beach to the Midtown Design District, which, like Miami’s murals, attracts attention on almost every street corner.