GTP Cool Wall: 1989-1999 BMW 8-Series (E31)

[Leonidae@MFT]

Sub Zero. Last shark-nose BMW.

 

[axletramp]

Aargh, BMW why you make this is so hard? I really love these - the styling, the stance, the engines, the rarity. But I would just feel such a complete git driving one. It hurts me not to give this a SZ, but I just can't. Cool it is.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Generously a Sub Zero.

I see too many of these owned by people that think gold number plate surrounds are classy.

Beautiful car though. 850CSi all the way

 

[C-ZETA]

Some say we are still waiting for that M8...cool though all the same.

 

[Thomas__633]

The car is slow. It is a barge around corners. It has popup lights and isn't a FD3S, which means it is awful (also insert 288 GTO, 365GTB/4 and Lotus Esprit/Elan here) to maintain and would normally be thrown in the dumpster. But somehow it is beautiful. SZ, LKIB (Lord Kelvin's ICE BOX) if it has the subtle but awesome mods from Forza on it.

 

[a6m5]

I'm not gonna lie, I would overlook everything for its looks. Along with Testarossa, it was one of my two favorite sports car designs from its day one.

 

[Doog]

The car is slow.

No it's not.

 

[GranTurismo916]

That's why I said "Second Division", not Championship... I'm talking second tier 1989-1992, third tier 1993-1999. Basically this is the Dean Holdsworth of cars.

Not sure why the poll says "BWM" though.

Uhh...

Because it was 6 in the morning.

 

[Sage Ages]

It has popup lights and isn't a FD3S, which means it is awful (also insert 288 GTO, 365GTB/4 and Lotus Esprit/Elan here) to maintain and would normally be thrown in the dumpster.

I didn't know being an RX-7 magically makes a car easy to maintain.

 

[ImaRobot]

The car is slow. It is a barge around corners. It has popup lights and isn't a FD3S, which means it is awful (also insert 288 GTO, 365GTB/4 and Lotus Esprit/Elan here) to maintain and would normally be thrown in the dumpster. But somehow it is beautiful. SZ, LKIB (Lord Kelvin's ICE BOX) if it has the subtle but awesome mods from Forza on it.

I'm not even sure how to react to this other than to just say "Wat?"

 

[Thomas__633]

Never seen one broken down and I have seen a lot of old Corollas and 323's with flip lights broken down
Also the 850 is slower than both the Z8 and E34 M5 around a track.

 

[Doog]

Corollas and 323's with flip lights broken down
Also the 850 is slower than both the Z8 and E34 M5 around a track.

> compares a grand tourer to a flagship roadster and an M car
> chastises it for not being as fast around a track

 

[Sage Ages]

Never seen one broken down and I have seen a lot of old Corollas and 323's with flip lights broken down

What does that have to do with anything in this thread?

 

[ImaRobot]

I once saw a 240sx broken down, too. It also had flip lights.

 

[Sage Ages]

I once saw a 240sx broken down, too. It also had flip lights.

Yeah, but we all know who drives a 240SX.

 

[Akwaaba]

Difficult one this!

Not driven one, but read loads of reviews and road tests - they only seemed to rate the manual 840Ci
The 850i is overweight, not particularly fast (certainly not for the engine size), has a small wheelbase for the length of the front and rear overhangs, and really little wheels. The competition (Porsche 928 and Jaguar XJS) were far superior.

Would I like one - yes absolutely, because they are quite cheap on the second hand car market.
Would I feel cool driving one ... no, I wouldn't!

therefore ... meh!

 

[Dagger311]

Sub Zero, classic and luxurious, while managing to avoid some of the stigma that comes from the modern BMW drivers.

 

[JrDarknes]

I will never forget forcing my dad to get up from his couch and making him drive to this dealership to look at one of these after coming home from middle school.

Took me a while to actually know the name of the car but had a hot wheel of it and loved the shape and form of it just from the little hot wheel. Dropped my jaw when I saw it in person.

 

[LivingWithGames]

BMW did a very good job with this. Not a cool vote...

But let's instead ride to Antartica with this.

 

[Liquid]

Also the 850 is slower than both the Z8 and E34 M5 around a track.

The 8 series is a flagship grand tourer, not a sports car, tuned car or roadster.

 

[Thomas__633]

The 8 series is a flagship grand tourer, not a sports car, tuned car or roadster.

WITH A V12.
It also is slower around FH2 than an E36 M3

 

[Liquid]

WITH A V12.

Irrelevant. I'll bet an M5 is also faster around a racetrack than a Rolls-Royce Phantom. WHICH ALSO HAS A V12

Grand tourers and luxury cars have big engines and lots of cylinders for a smooth ride and smooth sound, not for speed. I appreciate that you're young, but you jump to far too many conclusions.

It also is slower around FH2 than an E36 M3

Also irrelevant.

 

[Thomas__633]

It is a FLAGSHIP. Which should be faster than another car of similar type. I bet you that an S65 AMG (coupe) will beat last gen's C63 around a track.

 

[Nexus]

It is a FLAGSHIP. Which should be faster than another car of similar type. I bet you that an S65 AMG (coupe) will beat last gen's C63 around a track.

So the Rolls Royce Phantom should be faster around a track than the Ghost because it's a flagship?

 

[Thomas__633]

The 850 CSi has sporting credentials... also the Wraith would be faster than a Ghost.

 

[Liquid]

It is a FLAGSHIP.

Again, I don't know why your be-all end-all seems to be how fast something is. A flagship is about prestige, not speed; a literal flagship is the lead ship in a naval fleet onboard which there is a flag officer. It is the ship with the most senior officer on board. It is not simply "the fastest ship".

A vehicle flagship, the flagship vehicle of an automobile marque, follows suit. It is the most prestigious, or most luxurious car, across a lineup. Not the fastest. The flagship Subaru SVX was probably slower than a Legacy or an Impreza. The flagship Ford Granada was slower than a Ford Capri Laser and a lot slower than a Sierra Cosworth.

Was the last BMW grand tourer before the 8-series, the E24 6-series, rubbish because it wasn't as fast as an M1? Was the M1 the flagship? The BMW 8-series is a grand tourer designed with a big engine for a smooth ride to gobble up the miles on the Autobahn like they are Reece cups. It is not designed to break lap records and it is not a Q-car, unlike the M3 and M5.

 

[niky]

Perhaps one of the few Grand Tourer manufacturers who believes their flagship grand tourer should be faster than their... non-flagship... sports cars is Ferrari. And even then, the 458 is already as quick as the F12 at some tracks and faster on others... don't know what ungodly lengths they'll have to go to with its successor to keep the big front-engned car faster than the turbocharged 488...

It is a FLAGSHIP. Which should be faster than another car of similar type. I bet you that an S65 AMG (coupe) will beat last gen's C63 around a track.

Well, I'm loathe to use fastestlaps.com as a resource, but apparently, the S65 AMG is slower than the C63 AMG sedan, which is slower than the C63 AMG coupe, which is slower than the S65 AMG Black Series, which is slower than the C63 AMG Black Series... etcetera...

If you give a small car a big motor, it's faster than a big car with a big motor. The only way to have a flagship grand tourer faster than your small sports cars is to give it a buttload of power and a racing set-up (Black Series)... and when you do the same with your smaller sports car...

This is why Porsche will never give the Cayman the engine it deserves... because then the 911 drivers would have nothing left to brag about except those somewhat pitiful rear seats.

 

[Sage Ages]

WITH A V12.
It also is slower around FH2 than an E36 M3

A video game is not even remotely a valid comparison.

 

[motortrend]

These were cool when they came out, but they've definitely progressed to SZ because classic looks and presence. You can still pull up somewhere in one of these and as long as it's not ratty looking you'll be seen more than you would in a current M5. Really have to see a good one in person to understand the coolness IMO

 

[Cano]

Are we seeing the birth of the next White & Nerdy in here?