There have only been two generations of 8 Series in BMW’s 100 year history and neither have been particularly good sellers. Both the original E31-generation 8 Series and this current one underwhelmed on the sales sheets. However, the O.G. 8er has gone through a bit of a revival over the past few years, with enthusiasts appreciating its looks and grand touring experience. This particular one that’s currently for sale on Cars and Bids is an especially cool one, as it comes with a V12 and a manual transmission.
In 1991, the BMW 850i came with a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine that made 296 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. That might not sound like a lot for a V12, even for its time, and it really wasn’t. There were plenty of smaller engines that made more power, especially some American V8s. However, the 850i wasn’t primarily about straight performance. Instead, it was designed to be a quick, but not mind-melting grand touring car that could cross continents with ease. So it needed a long legged engine, a comfy ride, and stock-solid stability, all of which the BMW 850i had.
However, if you wanted a bit of fun, you could spec the BMW M850i with a manual transmission, which is more driver-focused and enthusiast-friendly. It was one of the only cars in the world with a V12 engine and a manual transmission and very possibly the only front-engine one. It wasn’t exactly a Porsche Boxster in the twisties but, with a proper stick-shift, it could be quite fun, more so than many other big-engine GT cars on sale at the time. This specific one is painted in Alpine White over a black interior, only as 110,000 miles on it. It’s also on 18 inch M Parallel wheels, which are among the most desirable BMW wheels from that era. Though, the wheels aren’t stock.
The only two other modifications to this specific car are the Alpine head unit with bluetooth and a Remus exhaust. The latter of which sounds good but BMW’s 5.0-liter V12 was always so smooth sounding that even with the good exhaust it’s a bit boring. That smoothness makes it lovely to use but lacks aural excitement.
At the time of writing this, there are still six days on the auction and the current bid is at $15,000. Since it isn’t a perfectly low-mileage car that’s bone stock, I’m not quite sure what it will eventually sell for but how many cars can you buy or bid for right now that are front-engine, V12, grand-touring coupes with manual transmissions? And how many have classic ’80s/’90s wedge-looks with popup headlights?
[Source: Cars and Bids]
