The BMW 8 Series is a range of grand tourer 2-door vehicles available from 1990 to 1999, then reintroduced in 2018 after nearly a decade of no production.
BMW 8 Series Design and Introduction
The first BMW 8 Series (E31) was produced in 1990. While the similar E24 6 Series had just ceased production, the 8 Series is not necessarily considered a direct replacement but did provide a similar offering in the BMW lineup. Those who wanted a powerful 2-door grand tourer had this option now in the 8 Series label, aimed at provide a more luxurious and higher performance in comparison to the outgoing 6 Series. It took many years for the E31 8 Series to make it into production. Starting way back in 1981, BMW began the development of the new 8 Series, which started production in 1986. It would be another three years before the debut of the 8 Series occurred at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show. BMW did not hold back with the design for the 8 Series. Using Computer Assisted Design (CAD) and aerodynamic tunnel tests, they were ahead of their time using these technologies to carefully design the body. Their hard work paid off and the drag coefficient was lowered to 0.29, a remarkable reduction from the outgoing 6 Series’ 0.39.
Engine and Performance
The first generation 8 Series (E31) came with a variety of V8 and V12 engine designs. The first engine offered in 1990 was a large 5.0L V12 engine that produced 296 horsepower and 332 lb ft of torque. In 1992, two other V12 options were introduced, a 5.4L with 323 horsepower in the 850Ci and a 5.6L with 375 horsepower and 406 lb ft of torque in the top-of-the-line 950 CSi. That same year, a 4.0L V8 engine became available in the lowest trim level 840Ci, which still produced a respectable 282 horsepower and 295 lb ft of torque. The 8 Series used a 5-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission in the V8 variants, with a 4- or 5-speed automatic or 5-speed manual in the V12 options. An M8 variant with even better performance was under development by BMW, and included a variety of enhancements such as increased intake sizes, upgraded brakes, and heavily modified body panels and bumpers. But the 1990s economic recession led to BMW dropping the project as they found a lack of demand for an even more powerful 8 Series.
Second Generation Reintroduction
The second generation of BMW 8 Series was introduced in 2018, after nearly a full decade off the market. Like its predecessor, it is available in a convertible (G14), coupe (G15), and sedan (G16). A concept version was shown at the 2017 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, but the initial unveiling of the new production 8 Series happed at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans. It brought double-wishbone front suspension and rear multi-link suspension to the table, also with BMW’s carbon-fiber Carbon Core technology built on the modular CLAR platform. The current 8 Series comes with a wide variety of engine choices, ranging from a rather small but powerful 3.0L turbocharged inline-6 engine with 335 horsepower in the 840i, to the 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8 with a whopping 591 horsepower, up to the incredibly-powerful 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8 with 617 horsepower and 553 lb ft of torque in the M8 Competition. Turbodiesel 3.0L inline-6 options are also available, with up to 335 horsepower and 526 lb ft of torque. The 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) time is quite impressive across the entire lineup. While the 840i has a respectable 5.3 seconds, the M8 Competition blows away most cars on the market with its ability to go from a stop to 62 mph in just 2.7 seconds. Being included in the sub-3-second club is quite a feat and any owner can be justified in using some restraint on that accelerator when not on the track. The 8 Series comes with xDrive all-wheel drive, an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, and a 10-inch iDrive digital instrument cluster display. Laser headlights, a display key fob, and a premium Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System are available options.