Days after the GAC M8 PHEV people-mover launched in Australia, the newcomer Chinese brand may already be facing its first hurdle.
The use of the ‘M8’ may be considered a conflict, with BMW having had its own M8 – a high-performance coupe – in the local market since late 2019.
“The BMW Group protects the well-established reputation of its premium products, which are highly regarded and valued by consumers,” a spokesperson for BMW Australia told CarExpert.
“We are aware of this brand’s use of nomenclature that is similar to the naming system used by BMW. However, we do not wish to comment further at this stage.”
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While BMW has not put forward an official opposition claim at this stage, in an interview with CarExpert, GAC Australia president Kevin Shu said he wasn’t worried.
“That doesn’t matter,” Mr Shu responded when asked about a potential trademark challenge by BMW.
“I think, for example, my name is Kevin. A lot of people [are] named Kevin.
“But we just focus on our personality,” he said, explaining that GAC offers several different powertrain options in its models to suit customer needs.
“So, different brands have different brand [intellectual property]… personality. So this is a normal situation,” Mr Shu told CarExpert.
Though GAC has submitted several trademark applications locally, it doesn’t appear the company has submitted a filing for the M8 nameplate at the time of writing.
According to the federal government’s IP Australia website, ‘BMW M8’ has been a registered trademark for almost a decade.
It’s not the first time BMW has had a run-in with a Chinese car manufacturer.
As reported in June 2025, BMW opposed the use of the EX5 name by Geely, claiming it was too similar to its own X5.
While that dispute is currently in a cool-down period, BMW may have chosen not to continue with its opposition, following a similar – but unsuccessful – challenge by Audi against Nio.
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.
