1991 BMW 850i

The BMW 8 Series Coupe was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989. The design of the 8-Series began in 1984, with the final design phase and production development in 1986. Its all-new body was designed by BMW using CAD tools and was perfected through wind tunnel testing. The resulting car had a low drag coefficient of 0.29.

It quickly became the company's flagship model and would remain in production from 1989 to 1999 (sales in the North American market stopped in 1997). Sales of the 8 Series were affected by the global recession of the early 1990s, the Persian Gulf War, and energy price spikes which were partly responsible for just 7,232 cars sold in the North American market. The total worldwide production reached 31,062 examples.

The 8-Series introduced numerous road car 'firsts' such as the first electronic 'fly-by-wire' throttle, the first 'CAN bus' system to cut down the complexity and weight of the electrical system, and the first BMW multi-link rear axle. The elegantly designed coupe was luxuriously trimmed inside and packed with a plethora of gadgets and amenities. Initially, power was from a magnificent all-alloy, 5-liter V12 that offered nearly 300 horsepower and 330 lb/ft of torque. It was backed by an automatic gearbox that could be operated manually. A six-speed manual transmission was also available. Zero-to-sixty mph took just 6.8 seconds on its way to a top speed electronically limited to 155mph. A 4-liter V8 engine was later offered, as was a 4.4-liter which addressed the lack of torque.

The list of interior amenities included a radio, power steering, power four-wheel disc brakes, and power windows.

The 1991 BMW 8 Series (850i)
For 1991, the BMW 8 Series 2+2 coupe had a base price of $77,700. A total of 1,711 examples were sold in the United States. It rested on a 105.7-inch wheelbase chassis with an overall length of 188.2 inches, stood 52.8 inches tall, and was 73 inches wide. The single-overhead-camshaft twelve-cylinder engine had an aluminum alloy block and head, a fuel injection system, a 304 cubic-inch displacement, 8.8:1 compression, and 296 horsepower at 5,200 RPM. Disc brakes were at all four corners.

The styling was courtesy of Klaus Kapitza, and the overall drag coefficient was impressively low - at Cd=0.29.

Production of the BMW 8 Series in North America ended in 1997 after approximately 6,920 units had been sold. Sales continued for other markets until 1991, with total output for all markets reaching 30,609 units (including 840i, 840Ci, 850i, 850CI, and 850CSi).

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2016