The company suggests the landmark coupe can trace its lineage back to the BMW coupes of the 1930s. The 8 Series was intended to showcase both design prowess and cutting-edge technology at the time.
“A clean-sheet design, the car tagged ‘E31′ by its maker launched its challenge to the world’s finest sports coupes with a design oozing avant-garde elegance, arresting performance attributes, an exceptional wealth of innovations and a sprinkling of exclusive luxury,” the company notes.
Following on the heels of the 750i, the 850i is said to have been the second post-war German car to be outfitted with a 12-cylinder engine. The 5.0-liter mill produced 300 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of twist, bringing the coupe up to 62 mph from a standstill in 6.8 seconds.
The powerplant was redesigned for the 1993 model year, increasing displacement to 5.6 liters and bumping output up to 381 ponies and 406 lb-ft of torque. The company also added a V8 option at the time, powering the 840 Ci.
The 850 CSi introduced a new driving dynamics system, including active rear axle kinematics to turn the rear wheels in the same direction as the steering angle. The system is said to have served as the basis for the Active Steering technology available in today’s 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series offerings.
BMW built over 30,000 examples of the 8 Series before it was decommissioned in 1999.
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