The BMW 8 Series was supposed to be the spiritual successor to the much loved E9 Coupés (such as the 3.0 CS/CSi/CSL) and the E24 6 Series (635 CSi, M6), although in reality it was targeted at a more exclusive market. With the intent of being a luxurious super car, it featured rakish lines resulting in a .29 drag coefficient (lower than an Acura NSX, Lamborghini Murcielago or Koenigsegg CCX) as well as a 300-hp V12 mated to a 6-speed transmission, the first time that had been done in a production car. It was also the first production car to have a “drive-by-wire” throttle (no cable). As a flagship model, BMW packed it with technology including stability and traction control as well as an on-board computer. It was also well appointed with 10-way heated seats and power everything. It was aimed passed its V12 contemporaries like the Jaguar XJ-S and Mercedes-Benz SL toward the exotic buyer looking for something more practical and more comfortable. In spite of this, both press and public instantly compared it to the 6-cylinder E24 and lamented that in all the puffery, the Ultimate Driving Machine had been somehow lost. This was particularly true in the US where dealers felt that it was more on par with the Jag- and Merc-buying country club set and most were delivered with automatic transmissions. Meanwhile, it had always been the intention that the 8 Series would be be part of the M program and development on the M8 had commenced and legend has it that the sole prototype still exists. With falling demand for the 8 Series, the M8 project was scrapped but lives on in spirit with the 850 CSi. The 850 CSi used an M-tuned version of the 850i’s V12, bored out to 5.6 liters and now producing 375 hp mated to a manual-only 6-speed gearbox. While this is well short of the M8’s 550 horses, it distanced itself from its country club fate. It also had a lower ride height ,stiffer springs, tighter steering, wider wheels, stainless exhaust, and improved aerodynamics. In the end, it not only reclaimed Ultimate Driving Machine status, but amplified it to a level that set the stage for the M Cars that were on the horizon. This one is the real deal (a unique VIN to indicate it was built by the M Division, the only production 8 Series to have done so). It is particularly nice with just over 50,000 actual miles and looks every bit the proper BMW in Dunkelblau (dark blue). The two-tone interior is prerequisite 90s German and while it might not be everyone’s cup of tee, no doubt we’ve all seen worse. On top of that, it is entirely original and everything seems to be working. At nearly four times the cost of a later (5.4 L) 850 Ci or a Ferrari 456 GT with $15K left over for service, exclusivity has its price. That said, prices for a CSi have slowly been inching up and it could be a sleeper in the works (Hemmings features an 850 CSi on the cover of their May 2014 issue in their 150-MPH story). With only around 1,500 built between 1993 and 1996, it may finally have found its place. Find it here on Craigslist in Tuscon AZ for an on-the-money $59,500.
