BMW Malaysia had opened the BMW Luxury Excellence Pavilion in Malaysia. This is the premium brand's new expression and brand presence show space which you can experienced how luxury is perceived by BMW. The BMW Luxury Excellence Pavilion is like a luxurious roadshow cum pop-up store which is ongoing from Thursday, 22nd February 2018 to Wednesday, 7th March 2018. There it will showcase new brand presence and fascination for its luxury segment vehicles for the very first time in Malaysia. It will also display for the first time in South East Asia the BMW Concept 8 series. Yes, we are the first in the region to view what the upcoming flagship BMW 8 series will look like.
According to BMW, luxury in a car represents the fruit of peerless expertise in various fields of development. Authentic, compelling and modern luxury draws on heritage, tradition and pioneering spirit as well as years of experience, deepening knowledge and innovation. On top of that, they brand is also focusing its attention on the continued development of relationships with customers, on experience and emotion, and on bespoke offerings. The premium automaker’s goal is to offer customers special mobility experiences every day, courtesy of unique and improved services.
In the ongoing development of luxury, the premium automaker is building up a luxury ecosystem of unique services and experiences, which embraces the full range of luxury models and creates some extraordinary and unforgettable times. This basically explains the concept for this unique type of roadshow experience which BMW have put together as well as the unique preview of the concept 8 Series which is set to be BMW's upcoming flagship model. The 8 series moniker was last used until 1999 for a Grand Tourer, much like what it will be this time around.
So, to make the pavilion an all round experience, the BMW Luxury Excellence Pavilion is also presented by partners Dior, Hugo Boss, Moet Hennessy Diageo, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Wei-Ling Gallery, Leica, illy Coffee and SPACE so that it covers all aspects of a person's lifestyle. These days, it seems to be the way to go as the customer experience is holistic and total. It isn't just selling a car but a lifestyle.
Mr. Han Sang Yun, Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia said that, “It is an absolute pleasure for us to be able to share our new brand presence and expression for our luxury cars here at the BMW Luxury Excellence Pavilion. From Toronto, Canada to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, we hope to share our vision of the luxurious appeal of our brand through this one of a kind experiential programme, further demonstrating how we have redefined the idea of modern luxury in the auto industry.”
On the BMW Concept 8 Series which is on display at the pavilion for the first time in South East Asia, Mr Han mentioned that it serves as a taster of the new BMW 8 Series Coupé, which is slated for launch this year.
The BMW Concept 8 Series seems to be very production ready on the outside. It spots a large kidney grille, slim twin headlights and large air intakes. The classic BMW grand tourer still has all the traditional BMW styling cues like its slim glass house area with a wide, low slung body but it builds on this further with modern cues. It is modern, muscular but keeps all the tradition grand touring touches like a long bonnet with a short tail. It is all taut and tight. For a concept car, it looks complete. Only on the inside you can see that some changes will be made when it becomes production ready.
Internally, the BMW Concept 8 Series is an emotionally rich blend of dynamics and luxury. Like in tradition BMW fashion, the surfaces and lines all gravitate forward and underscore the dynamic driving experience. A BMW always keeps the focus on the drive experience and the cabin in as such. The exclusive sports seats are not only slim in design, but their basic structure is provided by the carbon-fibre shell, finished with only the finest leather – making them the perfect seats. The hand-polished aluminium spokes arrowing forward purposefully, and the red-anodised shift paddles all show off its sporty intentions. Of course, I do note that when it goes into production, you should be seeing a more normal looking airbag equipped sports steering instead of this dished, slim spoked wheel you see in the concept 8 Series.
Other details of the interior include Merino leather in Dark Brown and Fjord White. Carbon fibre and hand-polished aluminium trimming add to the sportiness. The faceted ground gearshift lever and the iDrive Controller made from Swarovski glass with smoky quartz add to the luxury feel of the concept 8 Series.
The upcoming BMW 8 Series Coupé is a welcome addition to BMW's current line-up. It has been a long time coming for the brand to have its halo car again. I suppose the i8 coupe was a technological showcase and halo car for them, but the 8 Series has also been the pinnacle in BMW's traditional line-up. Sometimes, bringing back a moniker from the glory days adds to more goodness.
I also hope that it comes with a V8 engine when it is officially unveiled. The Concept 8 Series sounds quite glorious here when I managed to record it here. It sounds like a straight piped V8 with a flat plane crank. Quite unlike the earlier BMW V8s which sound like an American muscle car. Of course, this is just the concept car, what's under this hood may not be around in production form. Of course, the last 850i came with a V12. I'd settle for a V8 though.
So anyway, if you want to catch a glimpse of the BMW Concept 8 Series, head over to the BMW Luxury Excellence Pavilion located in the car park in front of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, in KLCC from now until the 7th of March 2018. The current range of BMW cars on sale by BMW Malaysia are also on display too as are the other luxury products mentioned above.
(From L-R) Sashi Ambi –Head of Corporate Communications, BMW Group Malaysia;Natasha Karim –Head of Marketing, BMW Group Malaysia;Han Sang Yun –Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer,BMW Group Malaysia;Joanne Goh Ling Li –Head of Sales Channel Development & Customer Relations, BMW Group Malaysia;and Stefan Sloboda –Head of Aftersales, BMW Group Malaysia.
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