BMW's "Golden Thunder" 8 Series Is the Bandit's Bimmer

This special-edition Bimmer is eastbound and not down for the U.S. market.

Jun 24, 2020

What would the Bandit drive in a remake of the classic film Smokey and the Bandit? Probably not a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, given the brand no longer exists, but he just might get behind the wheel of a BMW 8 Series Edition Golden Thunder. Throw a screaming chicken on the hood of this Bimmer, add some T-tops, and you're looking at a vehicle ready to commit a beer heist in middle America.

Or maybe the middle of Europe. Because BMW has no plans to ship this 8 Series and its black and gold getup to the United States. A shame, too, because the gold-painted 20-inch wheels on the Golden Thunder special edition are sure to turn more heads than Sally Field in the late 1970s. That said, we could live without the gold bits on the lower bumpers, side panels, mirror housings, and coupe-specific trunk-mounted lip spoiler.

If you both like the look of this special 8 Series model and live in the right place, then you'll be glad to know the Edition Golden Thunder is offered throughout the 8 Series model line. That includes the coupe, convertible, and sedan—er, Gran Coupe—models, as well as everything from the six-cylinder 840i to the V-8 M850i. Buyers need to like the contents of the M sports package, though, as every 8 Series Edition Golden Thunder comes equipped with the kit.

Inside, BMW decks the Edition Golden Thunder out with black leather seating surfaces (with the words "Edition Golden Thunder" inscribed on the driver and front passenger headrests!), a faux-suede headliner for coupes and Gran Coupes, and a smattering of gold interior trim pieces. In other words, the proverbial roar of the Edition Golden Thunder's stormy styling details is inescapable to those inside and outside of the car.

Then again, as long as this 8 Series can escape the hand of Smokey and other lawmen, its décor shouldn't matter to a 21st-century Bandit. Look for the 8 Series Edition Golden Thunder to start heading eastbound and down European roadways starting in September.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter