Used Car Buying Guide: BMW (E31) 8-Series

1991-1999 BMW 8-Series Coupe

"And when they say great white sharks... they mean the kind in big, black cars."

This buyer's guide is for an altogether different type of coupe than the last one.  While the appeal of the NSX was the raw connection if offered between the driver and the road, the appeal of an 8-series BMW is the way it effortlessly munches highway miles, the powerful and unique engines under the hood, and it's mildly thuggish demeanor.  If you're looking for a big, stately coupe that will get noticed but you don't have to mortgage the house for, the 8-series might be worth a look.

Background

The 8-series coupe (E31) debuted in 1991 as the replacement for the highly-acclaimed 6-series (E24) coupes from the 70's and 80's.  While it was designed to succeed the E24, the intention was to push the 8-series further upmarket than the 6, and BMW definitely achieved this - for better or for worse.

A remarkable amount of money was spent on the design of the E31, somewhere near DM 1.5 Billion, or about $1 Billion USD in 1986.  The way the car was designed was revolutionary; BMW extensively used CAD (Computer Aided Design) in the design of the E31, and the result was an exceedingly low drag coefficient: 0.29cD, compared to the 6-series' 0.39cD.  This made the 8-series the most aerodynamic car on the road, offering impressively silent running at highway speeds.

The 8-series also introduced some new thinking to the BMW line that later trickled down to other models.  The E31's were the first production cars with electronic "drive-by-wire" throttle controls, as well as some of the first BMW's to use a multi-link independent rear suspension, which later trickled down to the 7, 5, and 3 series lines.

Performance

The 8-series was available at launch only with the 5.0L M70 V12, called the 850i.  This V12 used traditional valvetrain - a single overhead cam per cylinder bank, with two valves per cylinder - and produced a maximum 295bhp@5200rpm, and 332lb-ft(450nM)@4100rpm.  This turbine-smooth V12 was available with either an electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic, or a regular 6-speed manual (making the 850i the first twelve-cylinder car offered with a 6-speed transmission... oddly enough.)

Weighing in at a hefty 3951lbs, the 300bhp V12 hauled the shark-shaped 8-serieks to sixty in 7.1 seconds with a manual, or 7.4 seconds with a manual, on to an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour - although unlimited prototypes were apparently easily capable of 186mph, thanks to plentiful torque and long gearing.  The quarter mile went by in 15.5 seconds, which was pretty quick for a big, heavy coupe in 1990.

Later 8-series were offered with a choice of V8 or V12 engines.  The V8 model, called the 840Ci, had either a 4.0L or 4.4L V8 (more on this distinction later) with 282bhp, and a 5-speed automatic transmission.  Thanks to it's lighter weight, this powertrain could scoot the 8-series to sixty in just under 7 seconds.

Later 850Ci models had a revised M73B54 V12 with made 326 horsepower and improved performance somewhat, but the top-of-the-line 8-series was the 850CSi, which was partially developed by BMW M, AG.  The CSi had an enlarge M73 (called the S70B56), now 5.6L, which produced 396 horsepower and 410 lb-ft (550nM) of torque.  This model had tighter suspension, better brakes, and was only available with a 6-speed manual transmission.  The 850CSi, which was well over $100,000 new, could reach 100km/h in only five and a half seconds.  What's curious is that even though the 850CSi was not marketed as an M-car, it was technically produced by BMW M, as evidenced by it's build codes.

Year-to-Year Changes

Production of the E31 started in 1990 in Europe and exports to the US started in 1991.  Initial production was V12-engined 850i coupes only, with either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.

for 1992, the 8-series only saw minor updates.  A shift-interlock was added to the 4-speed automatic transmission, and somewhere between late 1991 cars and early 1992 cars, BMW adapted their 2-mode Electronic Damping Control system to the 8 series, with "Sport" and "Comfort" modes.  Also, in response to dipping sales in response to the depressed market (Gulf War conflict, etc.), BMW produced 18 prototype base-model 8-series cars, called 830Ci's, which had the 3.0L 218bhp M60B30 V8 from the 530i and 730i.  This powertrain was deemed inappropriate for a car of the 8's stature, and all 18 830Ci's were subsequently destroyed.

1993 saw the introduction of the lighter, cheaper V8-powered 840Ci model to the European market, although the 840Ci didn't arrive on US shores until model year 1994.  This 282bhp V8 gave better fuel mileage and comparable performance to the heavier V12-powered cars.  It was available in Europe with either a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual, but only the 5-speed automatic was offered in the US Market.  Figures.

1994 ushered in the fantastic 850CSi coupe, built by the M Division.  It sported a heavily revised version of the newer M73 V12, now up to 5.6L and producing 396bhp and 410lb-ft (550nM) of torque.  Mated only to a six-speed manual, this special 8-series ditched the fancy electronic dampers for stiffer suspension, bigger roll bars, larger brakes, reworked aerodynamics, 17" wheels and tires, a shorter final drive ratio, a limited slip differential... and in Europe, even more goodies like an auxiliary engine oil cooler and final drive oil cooler, active rear-wheel steering, and an exclusive 2-tone interior.  The regular 8-series also received upgrades in 1994, like a 250 watt stereo, burl-walnut interior trim, and a remote control alarm.

in 1995, the 850i model changed it's designation to 850Ci, and received the newer M73 V12.  The larger (5.4L) V12 made 326bhp and 360lb-ft (490nM) of torque.  This regular V12 was still available with a 6-speed manual, but the automatic gained another gear and fully electronic controls - as well as drive-adaptive shift patterns.

1996 was the last year of production for the 850CSi, which stopped US import in 1995.  The 840Ci got the new M62 V8, enlarged to 4.4L, still making the same amount of power but more torque, both at lower peaks.  All 8-series cars received Servotronic variable-assist power steering.

1997 was the final year of importation to the US for the 8-series, although production continued up to 1999 with only minor changes elsewhere.

Production Numbers

Over it's 10-year production run (8-series were made between 1989 and 1999), a total of 30,621 cars were built.  The large majority of 8-series production was 850i/Ci's, with a total of 22,800 built.  Next most common were the 840Ci's, with 7803 built.  The 850Ci's were quite rare, with only 1,510 made over it's lifespan.  None of the 18 830Ci's that were built remain today.

The mix leans heavily towards automatic transmissions, as you'd expect.  Less than 600 (all euro-market) 840Ci's out of 7803 were made with manual transmissions.  About 3600 of the 22,800 850i/850Ci's had the six-speed, and all of the 850CSi's had it (of course.)

Alpina B12 Coupes

an interesting side-note in the 8-series story are the Alpina B12 Coupes.  There were two different varieties, the B12 5.0L and the B12 5.7L, based on the 850i and 850CSi, respectively.  The B12 B.0 came only with a 4-speed automatic, and had a tuned M70 V12 with 350 horsepower and 470nM of torque.  Only 97 of the B12 5.0's were produced, and they are counted as part of normal production 850i's.

The B12 5.7, based on the 850CSi, used an enlarged 5.7L block and made 416bhp/570nM, and were mated only to a 6-speed manual.  Both Alpina cars received attractive body modifications and bigger wheel/tire combos, as well as revised suspension for better responses.

Problem Areas

While second-hand prices of the 8-series are in the tanker (consider why: the most efficient 8-series, the 840Ci, gets 15mpg city/20mpg highway!), one must bear in mind that these had supercar price tags when new, and still cost supercar money to maintain.  If you avoid these problem areas, you should be good.

First off, don't be tempted by an early-build 840Ci.  These 4.0L cars, which used the M60 block, had the earlier Nikasil cylinder liners, which are a major headache.  High sulphur content in US gasoline wreaks havoc  on Nikasil, causing warping and eventual seizing followed by drastic engine failure.  While it's possible to fix this by having the block bored out and resleeved with the later Alusil liners... wouldn't you rather have the larger, (4.4L) torquier M62 V8?  I thought so.

Electronics seem to be the 8-series main bugbear.  For instance, the M70 V12 used two seperate ECU's (Engine Control Units), one for each cylinder bank.  The brakes require particular attention as they're a bit overburdened by the weight of the E31, so make sure they're in good order.  The onboard information center tends to suffer from dead pixel syndrome in it's old age (much like any Audi or VW or Saab with a dot-matrix info display!), and this is exhorbitantly expensive to fix.

other problem areas pointed out by ConsumerGuide, compiled from TSB and owner-reported data, include:

-Poor Shift Quality in Manual Transmission: usually caused by worn synchros due to the use of the wrong transmission lubricant.  Only use Dextron II ATF to prevent synchro wear... it's expensive, but then again, so is a transmission rebuild.

-Air Conditioning Failure:simple problem, simple fix (can you believe that?)  The drive belt for the A/C Compressor can slip off if you drive the car through standing water, then put a heavy load on the engine before the belt can dry off.  Don't fret!

-Rough Idle Condition: can be caused by one of two things: either a vacuum leak (in the manifold gaskets, or a vacuum plug near the fuel pressure regulator) - or the archaic knock sensor might be picking up noise from the water pump.  Cheesy.

There were a handful of recalls for the 8-series, including:

1991-1992 850i's: airbag trigger failure can prevent airbag from opening in an accident.1991-1995: issue with cooling system can lead to overheating, replaced with revised parts1994-1997 840Ci: an issue with a part of the cruise-control system can cause the throttle to be stuck partially open, which could be problematic if you've got the car in "drive."

Pricing

Pricing for the 8-series varies widely depending on year and model, as you'd expect.  Expected values range from $4,100 for a poor-condition 1991 850i, up to $20,000 for a good-condition 1995 850CSi.  Obviously, in real life prices fluctuate much more.

Searching on AutoTrader for 8-series cars in the US, I found a wide range of prices.  The cheapest was an (admittedly quite good-condition) 1992 850Ci for $5,300, with 139k miles on the clock in a beautiful maroon color.  In this price range, you're mostly looking at early V12 cars and high-mileage V8 cars, some with the Nikasil block that's to be avoided.

On the upper end, a 1995 850CSi with every option and  only 28k on the clock has an asking price of $69,975, which begins to make less sense - you can get a much faster, more modern new car for $70k - like a well-optioned M3.  Other CSi's tend to trade in the $40-50k range depending on mileage and condition.

The story is much the same across the pond.  £2,499 will get you a black, H-Reg 1992 automatic 850i, full MOT until April of '09 with 125k on the clock - pennies on the pound for some V12 glory.  You can find multiple 850i's on the island for under £3k with full service histories, current MOT's, and all that jazz - bargains to be found!

V8 cars actually command a bit more value than early V12 cars in the UK, though, with 840Ci's starting around £4,000 and up.  Prices range up to £12k for later V12 cars, but selection is relatively limited compared to the US.

Things To Keep In Mind

As mentioned before, the 8-series was a costly vehicle new, and maintenance costs are the single biggest barrier to ownership most people face - these cars are expensive to run.  An A/C compressor will run you almost $900, an alternator is over a grand, budget about 800 dollars a go-round for new brakes, and $1500 for one axle's worth of struts - not including the pricey electronic dampers.  Clutches are pretty robust, but don't expect change back from $1500 to replace one with an OEM clutch, pressure plate and bearing set.  All the electronic components are pricey and a pain in the butt, to boot.

On the other hand, the joys of owning an 8-series are numerous.  The V12 cruises effortlessly with power always in reserve, offering the silky thrust only a V12 can.  The chassis is responsive and relatively agile considering the 8-series' impressive weight.  Interiors are beautifully appointed and well put-together, and the level of equipment was quite impressive.

An 8-series is a car that's always going to get looks - admiring glances and dirty glares alike.  It was one of the poster children for 90's excess, and it's all the better for it.  BMW purists bemoaned the heavy curb weight of the E31, saying it just wasn't a proper successor to the harder-edged E24 6-series, but the 8 was intended for a different buyer.  An 8 series isn't a practical choice, but if you're looking for a second car that feels tangibly special, an 8-series might fit the bill.  It would just be better if you didn't have to foot the bill!

(As for the title of this article, it is a reference to the lyrics of a song by American rock band The Hold Steady, which I think describes the aura of the 8-series perfectly.  Kudos to you if you recognized it.)

Thanks to E31.net for production data and some general information, as well as the pictures of that gorgeous red 850CSi.