GAC will rename its M8 people mover in response to a request from the German giant BMWwhich has long sold its flagship performance coupe under the same name.
BMW confirmed it was aware of the collision when GAC’s M8 PHEV first went on sale in December, but did not file a formal challenge.
However, the automaker has now contacted Chinese newcomer GAC and asked to rename its plug-in hybrid van – a request that GAC has agreed to, according to local CEO Kevin Shu.
“Some news from the headquarters … had some influence. So maybe we have another idea to change the name,” Mr Shu said Daily Sparkz at the local start of the Aion UT.
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“In Australia it’s M8, but in China it’s E9. Maybe we’ll change the name from M8 to E9.”
“Communication was reasonable and friendly.”
An Australian BMW spokesman has already explained this previously Daily Sparkz that the brand “protects the established reputation of its premium products,” although GAC says interactions with the automaker were never unpleasant.
“It was like ‘Could you do us a favor and maybe change it?’ but there was nothing aggressive between us and BMW at all,” explained Andrew Ratajczak, GAC Australia aftersales director.
However, renaming the M8 to E9 could pose a new problem. Because ironically, the E9 nameplate also has a strong direct connection to BMW – it was the name for a series of coupes produced from 1968 to 1975, including the legendary 3.0 CSL.
So don’t be surprised if GAC decides to go with an entirely 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 is not the only manufacturer that has fought with a Chinese competitor over naming rights. In late 2023, Audi rejected Nio’s use of the ES6, ES7 and ES8 badges because the Audi models were named S6, S7 and S8 – but was ultimately rejected by IP Australia.
Audi did not oppose MG’s use of the S5 name for its small electric SUV, even though the company sold an S5 of its own.
MORE: Don’t worry, M8: GAC faces a possible trademark challenge from BMW
