It looks like BMW’s incredibly popular X line of SUVs and crossovers is about to get a little bigger. A recently filed trademark suggests that the German automaker is planning to introduce a new edition called the X8—and possibly soon.
Last month, BMW applied to trademark the name “X8 M” in a filing with the German trademark and patent office, reports Car and Driver. The move suggest that the line is set to get a new halo model after years of rumors, along with a high-performance variant of that vehicle. The car publication reports that the German car company filed for the trademark on March 24 of this year and that the name was officially registered a week later on April 1.
Based on the line’s naming convention up this point—the X4 is based on the X3, the X6 on the X5—it appears that the new vehicle will be a coupé/SUV crossover based on the in-production X7 (pictured above). The three-row, full-size SUV is the company’s largest vehicle right now and has proven to be a hit on both sides of the Atlantic since first hitting the market in 2018. If introduced, the X8 would likely take this crown for itself and almost certainly be bigger than similar models from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Porsche.
The fact that BMW trademarked “X8 M” and not just “X8,” also suggests that an X7 M might also be on the way. Just as there have been rumors of an X8 since the X7 was first introduced, there have also been rumors that the automaker would release a high-performance variant of the SUV. Currently, the most powerful X7 is the M50i, which has a a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that churns out 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. As impressive as that may sound, BMW enthusiasts have come to expect closer to 600 horses from the brand’s M models. Time will tell whether the marque will meet or surpass those expectations.
