The 8-Series Convertible will celebrate its third birthday at the end of the year, which means that BMW is preparing the 4-seater for a mid-life refresh. The brand’s flagship open-top model has already entered the testing phase with updated exterior styling and a new infotainment screen inside.
These spy shots were taken in Germany and show a prototype of the car with the front and rear ends wrapped up in camouflage. From what we can tell, the double kidney grille won’t go down the bucktooth route of the smaller 4-Series, retaining the same shape and more importantly, size, though a tweaked bumper should be expected.
At the back, the main lighting units have new graphics, and the bumper will likely have a slightly different styling. The test car had fake exhaust trim partially hiding the quad pipes on each side of the updated diffuser.
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Our spy photographers managed to get close to the prototype, snapping a picture of the interior that shows the new infotainment which appears to have been lifted from the facelifted 5-Series. The rest of the cockpit looks identical, featuring the same HVAC and radio controls on the center console, iDrive controller and gear selector between the front seats, and cup holders in front of them. Nevertheless, BMW could update the upholstery and trim options to further differentiate it from its predecessor.
While some believe that the facelifted 8-Series Convertible, alongside its Coupe and Gran Coupe siblings, might introduce more electrified variants, as with the latest 5-Series, one thing seems certain: the current engine lineup will soldier on. This includes the 840i and M850i models in the United States, and the M840d diesel in Europe. It remains to be seen if the M8 Convertible will return after being axed from the USA last year.
We still don’t have an introduction date, but we expect BMW to debut the facelifted 8-Series Convertible sometime between the end of the year and the first half of 2022.
