The date has already been announced: June 15, just one day before the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway. This is when BMW will officially unveil its reborn 8 Series coupe. Having that gorgeous grand touring coupe make its public debut is cause for celebration, and BMW is making sure we're all pumped for it. While we expect to see the usual teaser campaign get underway soon, BMW has just released this video showing a couple of barely disguised 8 Series prototypes driving through the backroads of Wales.

And yes, listen carefully and you'll hear some beautiful exhaust note. That's partly because there's a 4.4-liter V8 making 530 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque under the hood for the M850i xDrive. There's also one hell of an exhaust system, details of which are still forthcoming.

Also included in this preview video are some impressions from a few BMW engineers assigned to the 8 Series. "The trick is to offer maximum driving pleasure with a given suitability for everyday use," said Markus Flasch, 8 Series project leader. We're also introduced to head of drivetrain integration, Christian Billig and Jos Van As, head of application chassis. Each offer some valuable insights regarding their respective areas of expertise. So why did BMW choose Le Mans as the venue for the big 8 Series debut? That's simple. BMW is officially returning to La Sarthe where it will race the M8 GTE.