What do you guys think of the 840's and 850's???

[E36DJ]

Koenig has stuff for that car, everything from engine systems that push 600hp to kits that are just.. mean.

[bobafett]

You want definitive 8 series info, check out www.ClubE31.com

--Dan

[///LarsG]

I love how the 8 series look, they are very cool, but honestly, they are SO underpowered! How did BMW manage to only get 296 HP out of a 5 liter V-12?! It's really not a sporty as people think, unless it's tuned by DINAN.

[shragon]

i love the look of them. but yea, i heard they have a lot of problems and are expensive to maintain, especially the v12.

[///Samson]

Originally posted by ALMSracR
Koenig has stuff for that car, everything from engine systems that push 600hp to kits that are just.. mean.

Dead on man, dead on. I was trying to remember this very pic and had forgotten it was Koenig. I love it.

F40 Styleeee

[325ci.com]

btw, was that the first (and only?) production V12 that BMW has made? (sorry for my ignorance).

[bobafett]

Originally posted by ///LarsG
I love how the 8 series look, they are very cool, but honestly, they are SO underpowered! How did BMW manage to only get 296 HP out of a 5 liter V-12?! It's really not a sporty as people think, unless it's tuned by DINAN.

380 isn't bad. (850CSi). And if you look - the comparable V12s of the time weren't putting out different numbers (Jag XJS V12, for example).

--Dan

[lunati397]

you can get them here in italy for about 12000 a friend of mine is selling one right now

[///LarsG]

380 isn't bad. (850CSi). And if you look - the comparable V12s of the time weren't putting out different numbers (Jag XJS V12, for example).

Yeah, it's not bad, but that was the biggest V-12 they made (5.6 liters). And it wasn't available untill 1994. Compaire that to the 1994 Ferrari V-12s it was up against, and you will find that it was still pretty slow for the size of the engine.

[Josh]

These cars are not as unreliable as people who don't own them make them out to be. Most of the problems arise from owners who do not properly maintain them. The car does require maintainance on the level of the near $100,000 car it is. Many people who buy them forget that and treat them very poorly. But if you compare it to cars like Ferraris (which you shouldn't be) and other V12 equipped cars it far surpasses them in reliability. The 8 series was ahead of its time in many respects, similar in some ways to what the new 7 is today, but without the bad styling and poor build quality. The 8 series is the most solidly built car I have ever been in, and that says a lot.
There is talk about their performance. For one thing you need to understand it is not a sports car but a bahn-storming high speed cruiser. And it excels at that to the point of near perfection. There are very few BMW's today that can match the highway power and smoothness of this car. The V12's in these cars are detuned and they respond unbelivably well to modifications. The 850CSi boasted 372 hp and 402 ft/lbs of torque vs the E39 M5's 400 hp and 369 ft/lbs of torque. Where an E39 M5 will start to become squirelly at high speeds, the 8 series is just entering the pace it is most comforatable at.
It is a shame the M8 never went into production, that would have been BMW's answer to Ferrari's GT market with well over 500 hp in a lighter platform then the standard 8 series.
The V12 later evolved into the near 630 hp McLaren F1 engine and the LMR race engine, so it is clear BMW had mastered the V12.
With regard to which 8 series you should go with, the appeal to the V8 is there are supercharger kits and other modifications readily available for it. The 840 only came in automatic however. With regard to the V8 engine problems, that was an issue with all BMW's equipped with the 4.0. The engine blocks were becoming damaged as a result of the material used to construct them. All later cars were switched to the 4.4 and on most cases BMW replaced the 4.0's for free. If you have money to spend try to pick up a nice 850CSi or purchase a 91-92 850i 6 speed and company's like Korman can rebuild the V12 to 6 liters and over 500 hp. It is all a matter of what you are trying to achieve and what you are willing to put into it.

[Siphus]

well damn....

[Boomer]

oh the 850csi is deffenately one of my favorite cars....
the interior is cool as hell, it has bucket seats in the back (leather) and looks like you can travel in it a month-non stop and wont feel like geting up...
the car is deffenately a dream of mine, if one day ill be able to afford it, its mine, i odnt care about insurance, or maintanance...
this car is worth it!

[kuger]

Originally posted by 325ci.com
btw, was that the first (and only?) production V12 that BMW has made? (sorry for my ignorance).

750 also has v12

[///M3pwr1]

No matter what, these cars are definitely attractive. If anybody has any more pics, please post them........I love seeing these bad boys.

[bmw325ise30]

One of the people who race with the group i'm in is doing a twin turobo 850 project.