1992 BMW 850i

The BMW 8 Series was a car that BMW started developing as early as July 1981. The final design phase along with production development started in 1986. The 8 series was designed to replace the E24 6 Series in 1990 it was not a successor. It was much more expensive but had the extra performance to justify.

It made its debut at the 1989 Frankfurt motor show with production beginning in 1990. The 8 Series was the first production road car to feature a V12 engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. This came in the form of a 5.0L V12 for the 850i that was produced between 1990 and 1994. Other variants were introduced later which included an 840i and 840ci which had a V8 engine as well as updated V12 engines for the 850ci and a full blown S70 M engine for the 850csi.

The 8 Series was one of the most advanced vehicles in BMWs line up as it also featured an electronic drive-by-wire throttle which was rare at the time as well as multi-link rear suspension which other than the BMW Z1, was the only BMW to feature this type of rear axle.

The 850i like the one pictured above was the first model of the 8 Series launched in 1990. It features a 5.0L V12 engine that produces 221kW and 450Nm of torque. It is fitted with the manual 6 speed gearbox which enables a 0-100 of 6.4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h – impressive figures for a 1990s GT car!

Gorgeous retro styling, modern comforts and great performance even by today’s standards – what’s not to love? A great opportunity to own one of a handful of V12 production cars at an affordable price.