• Last-generation BMW interior feeling its age
• Rotary controller makes infotainment easy
• Logically set up and high-quality

How is the quality and layout?

Though it’s not been around for very long the 8 Series’ interior does feel a generation behind the latest BMWs such as the facelifted 3 Series. However, this means you get a really pleasing array of physical controls on the dash – including everything from a set of climate control switches to a rotary controller for BMW’s iDrive infotainment system.

Everything feels very high-quality and is well laid-out. Some models even get BMW’s ‘CraftedClarity’ controls – which switches out the gear selector and iDrive controller for ones made of solid crystal. The effect is a bit glitzy for us, but we suspect many will love it.

Apart from the slabs of crystal, though, there’s not a lot in the 8 Series’ interior that feels special. Switchgear is borrowed from lower down the BMW range and there’s little of the luxurious feel you’d hope for from a car that can easily cost more than £140,000.

Infotainment and tech

The dash is dominated by two screens – a 12.3-inch digital dashboard and a 10.25-inch widescreen infotainment unit. Unlike the latest BMWs, these are definitively separated from each other rather than being placed under one seamless sheet of glass.

The digital dials are, frankly, not the best. They’re ugly and the oddly-shaped half-octagons for the speedometer and rev counter aren’t especially easy to read. The main infotainment system is great, though. It’s logically laid out and we can’t overstate how useful it is being able to control it on the move from a proper physical controller rather than having to reach out towards a touchscreen.

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Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included and work wirelessly, so you can leave your phone on the wireless charging pad and forget about it.

Comfort

The 8 Series does an admirable impression of a hard-top car in terms of refinement when the roof’s up. It does a great job of isolating outside noise. When it’s down there’s less bluster than in a Porsche 911 Cabriolet, especially when you fit the wind deflector over the rear seats. The roof can raise or lower in just 15 seconds, incidentally – and at speeds of up to 31mph, so you can put it up and down with the rain while driving around town.

The front seats aren’t as padded as those on a Lexus LC, and some testers reported a numb bum after a long trip. But they’re very adjustable so all sizes and shapes of driver should be able to get comfortable, with additions such as an extendable squab and adjustable base tilt. They’re also heated as standard and ventilated on some models, while roof-down comfort is enhanced by vents in the headrest that blow hot air onto the back of your neck.