BMW has announced that its 2019 8 Series Coupe, with a mixed-material body, will come with the option to swap out the different facets of the car with carbon fiber as well as new sensor and driver assistance technology.
Much of the coupe will be made out of aluminum, including the hood, doors, roof and front firewall as well as other supporting structures according to the manufacturer. BMW will allow its customers to swap out the coupe’s aluminum roof for a carbon-fiber one as well as offering a complete optional carbon fiber package with air intake bars, mirror caps, spoilers and the rear diffuser.
The coupe’s headlights can also be optionally integrated with the BMW Night Vision system, which lights up any heat-emitting objects on the road like people or large animals with its marker light function according to the company.
With all the driver assistance systems on the vehicle, there ends up being a lot of cameras and sensors to recalibrate.
Some of the tech on the vehicle includes:
–The eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission’s controller is able to adapt the shift parameters to the current driving situation by means of intelligent networking with the standard Navigation system, enabling it to take the planned route into account.
–Intelligent networking allows Auto Start-Stop operation to adapt to suit the specific situation based on data supplied by the navigation system as well as by the cameras and radar sensors of the optional driver assistance systems to avoid inefficient engine shutdowns.
–Active roll stabilization: Electric swivel motors on the front and rear anti-roll bars ensure fast and precise compensation for lateral forces during dynamic driving maneuvers.
–Autobraking: The feature now comes standard and will brake for cars, pedestrian and now cyclists. There is also an option that allows the vehicle to swerve itself out of the way of certain obstacles.
-Steering and Lane Control is another optional package on the car where the vehicle can steer itself and stay in the center of the lane, while the driver’s hands remain on the wheel.
While this type of vehicle won’t be common in all shops, the changes could signal a trickle down into later, more common BMW models.
