2020 marks 30 years from the first time you drove a BMW. In fact, it’s the first time I’ve ever felt in one. This first exhibition involved the logo’s flagship product at the time, the 850i coupe with V12 engine. My last outing at BMW was in the large coupe of the logo that relaunched the 8 series badge, in this case under the so-called 840i. What have 30 years of “progress” brought us in BMW’s big coupes?
The original 8 came in 1990 as a more exclusive replacement for the much-loved 6 series, which was one of the most productive coupes of its time. The 8 was another from ‘6 at a time when BMW’s design was beginning to stretch its legs and a cooler visual language. This era of the 80s and early 90s brought us cars like the roadster Z1 and the E36 series 3. The 8 abandoned the previous 6 front grille in favor of a slender silhouette with a miniature edition of the double-rein grille and retractable headlights reminiscent of the vintage M1.
The recently relaunched 8 series is visually a very different animal. The emerging lamps disappeared with the end of the original race 8 in 1999 and never arrived here in a BMW and the grille of the new coupe is a long way from the subcompact edition of 30 years ago. Fortunately, his debut in 2018 came before BMW to adopt the absurd vertical grilles of the new 4 series coupe and the Series 7 sedan. While the existing 8 Series grille is large, it extends horizontally.
While not as revolutionary for the logo as the original, this second generation 8 series is an eye-catching design that only shows its unexpected profile size. At 191.1 inches long, the new 8 series is giant compared to its small cabin, however, it is only 2.9 inches taller than the original. At 3933 pounds, it’s about two hundred pounds thinner than the 12-cylinder style of 3 decades ago.
I was racing in the ABS for Lotus Elan and Esprit race cars at the time, so although the 850i was not a direct competitor, it was still in the premium category. There have been a number of new features in this car, adding a complete acceleration formula on the V12. This 5.0-litre engine was comfortable as silk and provided a lot of strength during the day. It had two complete and independent engine control formulas, one for each six-cylinder bank and can limome in a bank in case of FAILURE of a PC or sensor.
But keep in mind the context of the time. Around this same time I bought myself a new Mustang 5.0LX and its 225-hp was considered impressive. That engine makes one-third less power than the four-cylinder in today’s Mustang and less than half of what the V8 GT generates. That BMW V12? The one tested by Car and Driver around the same time produced 296-hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. There was a V8 offered a few years later but was less potent.
In 2020, the “entry level” 840i runs on a 3.0-litre turbocharged, turbocharged 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine with direct injection. I am a big fan of the six designs online because it is very sweet and torrid. Thanks to current technology, this fundamental engine produces 335 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque between 1,600 and 4,500 rpm. There are also turbocharged V8s that climb the M8 ladder, but they are for time.
With more strength and torque and less volume, this 840i reaches 60 mph in 4.6 seconds or 4.3 if you opt for the all-wheel drive version. This is up to 2 seconds faster than the V12. It is also much more effective than the V12 which had an EPA score of thirteen mpg and an observed C/D power of 14 mpg. The new 840i is valued at 25 mpg combined and I saw about 23 mpg in my driving week. As with many cars today, one thing you can’t get in a fashionable 8 series is a manual transmission, anything you had with the 850i.
Over the years, BMW cabins have become much more premium feeling and this 840i is no exception. There are top notch materials throughout and as in the past, the center stack is tilted toward the driver for easy access. The analog dials are replaced by large digital displays for the cluster and the infotainment system and the 8 still uses the very functional iDrive controller for navigating the interface.
The front seats offer many adjustment possibilities and advertise sports driving. There’s a back seat, but let’s be honest, nobody sits on it. It is difficult to get in or out and there is no useful room for the legs or head. This is a wonderful vintage travel coupe for a couple. Use the X5 or X7 to send to the family.
With the driving mode set to comfort, it’s an amazing cruise that’s incredibly quiet with the windows open. Press the throttle and create speed without problems and without drama. Switch to the game and the orientation effort intensifies, the surprise shock absorbers become a little firmer and the engine score becomes much more aggressive. Although synthetic, they look pretty original compared to what the afterlife’s six-cylinder BMWs have been.
It is to communicate the price in the context of a luxury coupe that costs $101445 delivered. But when I think in 1990 and check this old C/D review, it’s quite unexpected that this 840i is rarely much more expensive. The car tested through C/D was $90,970 in 1990. Adjusted for inflation, it’s almost $175,000. The 840i starts at $88,000 and even the M8 festival coupe only costs $146,000.
Although the existing 8 series deviates much less from the popular BMW than the original, compared to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Lexus LC coupe, it is quite competitive. Another way the new 8 deviates from the previous one is that you can also get it in a convertible. Although I’m still in favor of driving with maximum sensitivity down, unfortunately, the maximum number of consumers probably to buy an 8 series today probably won’t need to get rid of your hair and therefore leave the maximum sensitivity high.
Much has been replaced in 30 years, yet some basic elements of what makes the premium luxury coupe have remained strangely consistent despite adjustments in the way those goals are achieved.
I’ve spent my adult life running in and around the industry. After graduating from GMI with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I spent the next 17 years running
I’ve spent my adult life running in and around the auto industry. After graduating from GMI with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I spent the next 17 years running in electronic systems that help cars stop, pass and replace the address before going to write about what other engineers were creating. Since then, I’ve been trying to teach my readers, audiences, and listeners how the next automotive generation works, what it can do and perhaps most importantly, what it can’t do. Since 2014, I have combined my wisdom in communication and engineering as a senior analyst with Navigant Research, covering select fuels, complex driving technologies and hooked vehicles. I also co-host the Wheel Bearings podcast on https://wheelbearings.media/