Eight is a special number.
Well, according to BMW it seems, having rendered out famous 8s of the past such as the Z8, the original 8 series not to mention the i8 Roadster and Coupe.
This new 8, this is no barge, despite its size – having been co-developed alongside the M8 GTE race car that competed at Daytona, then perhaps more importantly at 24 Hours of Lemans – where BMW gleaned insight and distilled this into the production car’s development. That makes the car I’m about to drive sort of ‘race track infused’. And not the behemoth GT it appears to be.
Mind you if you’re prepared to dial down your aggression several levels, it will indeed deliver the consummate cruise credentials you so require. But if you don’t mind – I’m just going to stare at it a bit longer, a sleek predator with a menacing scowl, beady eyes (laser lights are optional, adaptive LED come standard) and a curbside stance that says it is not to be trifled with.
But I plan on trifling plenty.
As good as it dares
From its 4.4-litre V8 it can render 390kw and 750Nm, helped along by a blustery pair of twin scroll turbos. This makes for a blistering 0-100kph sprint in a ludicrous 3.7 seconds.
Much motorsport-fuelled (pun intended) trickery is employed here, such as maximum cooling efforts, optimised ignition and electronics for greater spark makes for efficient power and torque delivery – and you feel it in the throttle response, especially if you opt for Sport+. Sport and Comfort as well as Individual and Adaptive modes are naturally there for more urbane circumstances.
Cogs are duly swapped via an improved 8-speed Tiptronic automatic, now capable of truly ‘M Division’ worthy shifting. To keep it in line, the M850i comes with the xDrive all-wheel drivetrain with bias towards the rear wheels. Still it manages to fee athletic thanks to lightweight construction materials; the core (centre tunnel) of which is carbon fibre, ditto the double bubble roof (as standard), and the doors.
Of course, there are also a ton of carbon fibre embellishments for you to spec, as well as further customisation options – which means you can turn your M850i into a luxury bahn-stormer or race car for the road via a multitude of leather and carbon trim options, stitching and, skid plates. And that’s not even touching on the audio options, paired with the most advanced cabin in the game.
'Smart-cockpit' is an understatement...
From here you have so much to play with – those aforementioned driving modes with the added perk of a flap-operated sports exhaust as standard to summon for more noise. Tech and safety levels are through the roof as is connectivity and multimedia. BMW are leading the way with Smart-cockpits and in the 8 it is simply sublime. And that’s before I’ve even turned a wheel in anger.
Fire it up
And its soundtrack is rolling thunder underlined with bubbling napalm – this is still at rest. Tune in raspier, tighter performance settings and the exhaust note mutates with promise, goading me to unleash it. I oblige and point it towards the winding Rooi Els road and begin to unpeel layers and layers of cotton wool from it and I, and the results are staggering.
There’s just so much power and torque to contend with – again, a sub 4 second sprint to 100kph means we’re in supercar territory, approach with caution on anything that isn’t bone straight.
While there is much to frighten you there’s even more to delight and after an hour of ‘pointing and squirting’ I am well aware that I’d feel more comfortable approaching its limits on a safer locale, like a race circuit.
Handling is nimble (in general, not just for a big car), straight-line performance urgent, and the helm is flavourful and loaded with feedback. There’s a limited slip diff behind me, the adaptive M suspension beneath me comes standard, and there’s active-steering and 20-inch mixed tyres so that I’m never (ever) short of grip. And this is not even the tippy top of the new 8 Series.
There’s much more to come
Yes, in Mzansi this year we shall still see the upcoming 8 Series Gran Coupe, and the bonkers M8 in Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe formats.
We are so ready for the flagship of the flagship, aren’t you?
8 Series Coupe M850i Specs:
| Engine | Twin-turbo 4.4l V8 |
| Power | 390kW |
| Torque | 750Nm |
| Driven Wheels | xDrive AWD |
| Gearbox | 8-speed Tiptronic |
| 0-100kph | 3.7 seconds |
| Top Speed | 250kph (limited) |
| Average Fuel Consumption | 10.4l/100km |
| CO2 Emissions | 238g/km |
Pricing:
| BMW M850i Coupe | R1,872,900.00 |
| BMW M850i Convertible | R1,994,300.00 |
