GAC M8 name change imminent after BMW clash

GAC will rename its M8 people mover in response to a request from German giant BMW, which has long sold its flagship performance coupe under the same moniker.

BMW confirmed it was aware of the clash when GAC's M8 PHEV was first launched back in December, without putting forward a formal opposition claim.

However, the automaker has since contacted Chinese newcomer GAC asking for its plug-in hybrid van to be renamed – a request that GAC has agreed to, according to local CEO Kevin Shu.

"Some news from headquarters... made some influence. So maybe we have another idea to change the name," Mr Shu told CarExpert at the local launch of the Aion UT.

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"In Australia it's M8, but in China it's E9. Maybe we will change the name from M8 to E9.

"The communication was reasonable and friendly."

A BMW Australian spokesperson has previously told CarExpert that the brand "protects the well-established reputation of its premium products", although GAC says its interactions with the automaker never turned nasty.

"It was like 'could you do us a favour and maybe change it?', but it wasn't anything aggressive between us and BMW at all," explained GAC Australia director of aftersales Andrew Ratajczak.

However, rebadging the M8 as the E9 could open a new can of worms. Because, somewhat ironically, the E9 nameplate also has strong direct links to BMW – it was the designation given to a range of coupes produced from 1968 to 1975, including the iconic 3.0 CSL.

As such, don't be surprised if GAC settles on an altogether new name for its people mover.

According to the federal government’s IP Australia website, ‘BMW M8’ has been a registered trademark for almost a decade. The current version of the high-performance V8 coupe has been on sale since 2019.

BMW isn't the only manufacturer to have tangled with a Chinese competitor over naming rights. In late 2023, Audi opposed the use of the badges ES6, ES7, and ES8 by Nio, due to Audi’s models being named the S6,S7, and S8 – but was ultimately ruled against by IP Australia.

Audi didn't oppose MG's use of the S5 name for its small electric SUV, despite selling an S5 of its own.

MORE: No worries, M8: GAC facing potential trademark challenge from BMW