A post shared by BMW (@bmw) on Jul 28, 2017 at 8:11am PDT

The BMW 8 Series is an acclaimed sports coupe BMW built from 1980 to 1999. It was based on the E24 6 series coupe the German automaker manufactured from 1976-1989. For nearly 20 years, BMW has had no 8-series variant. But more recently, it has been announced that a concept 8 series will be debuted during a world premiere at the Lodge at Pebble Beach. The big reveal will happen on Thursday August 17th.

Bernhard Kuhnt the President & CEO of BMW of North America, and Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group Head of Design will both be speaking at the California unveiling event. This concept will not be all cerebral, though. Rather, it will be a preview of an actual upcoming model – the 8 Series Coupe, which will launch sometime in 2018.

Why 8?

Some may be wondering “why bring back the 8 moniker?”. Harald Kruger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG says “The number 8 and cars like the Z8 roadster and i8 have represented the pinnacle of sports performance and exclusivity at BMW…the forthcoming BMW 8 Series Coupe will demonstrate that razor-sharp dynamics and modern luxury can go hand-in-hand.”