In 2018, BMW decided resurrect the Series 8 trademark to christen a new, stately sports sedan that would be able to compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Audi A8, or even models from Maserati, Bentley, or Porsche, among others. On paper, the idea seemed like a well-thought-out move: BMW would leverage the platform and technologies developed for its subsidiary Rolls-Royce models to create a new, elegant, and sporty model, with a sculpted body and a bolder aesthetic and technological approach than the 5 and 6 Series of its time.