2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42
BMW 850 began to be developed in 1984 to replace the E24 6-series on the conveyor. The car was first presented to the general public in 1989 and went on sale the same year. Initially, the popularity was high, but gradually began to decline. Production continued until 1999, when the hype subsided, and everyone who wanted to have already purchased this car. In just 10 years of production, a little more than 30 thousand cars were produced and sold. Such a small figure was caused primarily by the exorbitant price of the coupe - from 70 to 100 thousand dollars. Even the budget 840s did not save the situation. But in any case, the BMW 850 E31 was and remains today one of the most interesting and controversial models of the BMW brand.
In the 850 BMW tried to embody the full range of then existing technical innovations. New, at that time, multi-link rear suspension with passive steering effect, electronic gas pedal, retractable headlights, 300 hp V12 engine. with a successful six-speed manual transmission and a bunch of advanced electronics. The E31 body itself was made according to an aerodynamic configuration with a drag coefficient of only 0.29. The designers managed to achieve the impossible: for all its dissimilarity to other BMW cars, the 850 made it possible to uniquely identify itself in the stream. Elegant contours and a beast looking out from under them. A very beautiful car, which even now looks quite modern. The salon was distinguished by a rare luxury for a coupe and was made according to the 2 + 2 scheme. All this stuffing brought the weight of the car up to 2 tons, which was about half a ton more than is allowed for a sports car.
The BMW 850 was an attempt to combine the sporty character of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of an executive class. The attempt, though not successful, was definitely counted. In other words, he is the flagship and BMW's flagship, rare, desirable, but there is money to spend without it.
For 10 years of production, a whole range of models has appeared:
- 830i and 840Ci are cheaper modifications with 3 (220 hp) and 4 (280 hp) liter engines, respectively.
- 850i - the very first model, M70B50 engine, 5 liters and 300 hp. Equipped with both automatic 4-speed and manual 6-speed gearboxes.
- 850Ci - new engine M73B54, 5.4L - 320 hp
- 850CSi - with a modified engine from the 850i, which received the S70B56 marking and the power of 375 hp
Alpina tuning studio was also involved in the case and produced its own versions of the BMW 850.
In general, the car, although it was unusually beautiful, turned out to be not very successful and untimely. The exorbitant price and expensive service extremely narrowed the target audience. A person who wanted speed bought a Ferrari, comfort - a Mercedes, an ordinary "BMVod" was also satisfied with charged M-versions, and only true connoisseurs of the brand could decide to buy a flagship. The outbreak of the Gulf War also contributed to the decline in sales. Then fuel prices shot up and demand for voracious and impractical models fell.
Be that as it may, the BMW 850 was and will be an amazing car, a remarkable milestone in the history of the company. Today, prices for it at auctions in Germany range from 5 to 30 thousand euros, and there are a sufficient range of offers. True, the cost of maintenance is near-cosmic, so the BMW 850 still holds the brand of a car “not for everyone.”
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