AMG’s New V8 Coupe Shows What’s Missing From BMW’s Lineup
by Adrian Padeanu · BMWBLOGArticle Summary
- Mercedes-AMG’s CLE 646 proves there’s still room for an outrageous V8 coupe at the dawn of the EV era, and BMW should take note.
- With the 8 Series and M8 gone, BMW needs a more accessible V8 two-door than its ultra-limited, sold-out Speedtop and Skytop.
- Alternatively, an ALPINA V8 coupe inspired by the Vision concept could deliver effortless performance and GT levels of comfort.
Mercedes-AMG just reminded everyone that the combustion engine still has plenty of life left. The new CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung is a wickedly powerful, highly exclusive V8 coupe, with a terrible name, I might add. While admittedly extreme, BMW should perhaps take note. Affalterbach transformed the CLE 53 into a 646-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive monster with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo engine, extensive carbon-fiber bodywork, a bespoke suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and serious aerodynamic hardware.
In M4 CSL style, it even loses its rear seats and sheds a substantial amount of weight. Mercedes-AMG is making only 30 cars and has already sold them all. BMW doesn’t need to go quite that far. In fact, I’d argue it shouldn’t. But Munich should build a V8 coupe in the same general mold, perhaps toned down with a higher production run and a lower asking price.
Give it a wide body, a low-slung stance, plenty of carbon fiber, a great exhaust soundtrack, serious brakes, and a properly sorted chassis. Most importantly, put an “S68” under the hood and send the power to the rear wheels. With the 8 Series and M8 now gone, BMW doesn’t have a V8 coupe in its lineup. That’s a strange situation for a company that spent years building some of the most desirable eight-cylinder two-doors in the business.
BMW Isn’t Ignoring The Two-Door V8 Segment
Sure, BMW hasn’t completely abandoned the idea of an extravagant two-door V8. The Speedtop is essentially an M8 underneath its gorgeous shooting-brake body, and its ultra-limited production run made it an instant collector’s item. There’s just one catch: it’s sold out. The same goes for the targa-roofed Skytop before it. That makes these two cars a tantalizing glimpse at what BMW could still do rather than a genuine answer for someone who wants a new V8-powered two-door.
While the Speedtop and Skytop were based on an M8 chassis, in a perfect world, M would build a V8 coupe based on the smaller and more focused M4. It’s not necessarily because BMW needs to respond to every new Mercedes-AMG launch, but because the clock is ticking for the V8 engine. It’s not disappearing tomorrow, but every year that passes makes a project like this harder to justify. BMW is deep into its Neue Klasse transformation, with electrification playing an increasingly important role in the company’s future product strategy.
That’s precisely why it should happen sooner rather than later, because that “later” may never arrive. There is hope, though, albeit for a posh grand tourer rather than something as extreme as AMG’s new CLE 646. The Vision BMW ALPINA Coupe is an excellent blueprint for a lavish GT-style car, one that will ideally happen one day. Even if it does, it won’t be based on the 8 Series since production has already ended.
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ALPINA Or BMW M V8 Coupe? There Are No Wrong Answers
Because the new ALPINA era puts the cars atop regular BMWs, a limited-production V8 coupe would make perfect sense. It could follow the same general philosophy as the concept but be developed as a proper production car. Maybe 300 examples. Maybe 500. Enough to make it special, but not so few that every car disappears into a private collection before enthusiasts even have a chance.
There’s also an argument for making it less extreme than the Mercedes. BMW doesn’t need to respond to the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung with a 646-hp monster of its own. An ALPINA-branded coupe making somewhere in the 600-hp neighborhood would already be plenty. The emphasis should be on effortless performance rather than outright lap times. Of course, deep-pocketed enthusiasts certainly wouldn’t mind forking out top dollar for a track-focused V8 coupe that compromises comfort for all-out performance.
We’d be happy with either scenario. Because once the V8 is gone, it’s gone for good.
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