Could the BMW X8 SUV soon become a reality? Our technicians certainly hope so, and a search of records at the United States Patent and Trademark Office indicates the possibility. BMW filed to protect the “X8” name back in 2016. A member of an X7 also discovered that BMW filed to protect the “X8 M” name on March 24 of this year with the patent and trademark office of Germany.
Trademark filings are by no means definitive evidence of an emerging X8 SUV — brands take out trademarks all the time without actually getting around to releasing the product, but BMW’s R&D chief Klaus Froehlich has hinted strongly at the possibility of an X8 in the recent past.
“The sector is growing fast, so there will be opportunity,” Froehlich told Motor Authority back in November 2017. “It is early to talk about X8, but one of the first decisions I made when I worked on product strategy was to take the X5 and make the X6.” Froehlich hinted there would be room for an X8 within BMW’s lineup, especially in China.
What Would a BMW X8 Look Like?
The X8 would likely twin with the X7 but emphasize rear-seat passengers and their comfort, including a seating configuration where there are just two executive-style reclining seats in the rear entirely possible. This would be similar to Volvo’s XC90 Excellence that launched in 2016.
“The X8 also won’t necessarily be a coupe-like SUV like the smaller X4 and X6, though a sloping roof should still be present. Something like Audi’s Q8 is possible,” Motor Authority reported.
Here’s Car & Driver’s predictions for the potential X8:
“It’s reasonable to think an X8 would follow the BMW nomenclature for its coupe/SUV lineup: the X4 is based on the X3, and the X6 is based on the X5. So it only makes sense that an X8 would be based on the X7, which currently stands as the brand’s largest SUV. The X8 would be significantly larger than competitors such as Mercedes-AMG’s GLE coupe, Audi’s Q8, and Porsche’s Cayenne coupe.
“As it stands, there isn’t an M variant of the X7; the closest you can get is the X7 M50i, which currently has a spot in our long-term stable. That car is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that makes 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. BMW has put an even hotter version of this engine in the M5, M8, M8 Gran Coupe, X5 M, and X6 M, and in those applications, it produces 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Competition spec for those four models bumps output to 617 horses, with the torque figure remaining unchanged. It’s likely that an X8 M would have that engine, too.”
Coming to a Cincinnati Auto Repair Shop Near You?
What our BMW technicians predict is we’ll love to repair them just as much as we like to drive them. We can’t wait to get a BMW X8 in for a regularly scheduled maintenance repair at our Cincinnati auto repair shop. We’d love to see what’s under the hood.
