The weirdest 8 Series ever?

[MitchT]

I was just browsing Auto Trader and discovered this gem! The wheels are totally wrong for the car and the interior looks like it's been cobbled-together from a load of spare parts... Either that or someone with extremely poor taste went mad with the 'Individual' options!!

[sniff diesel]

If he's still got the original bits in the loft somewhere to include with it then that's a very cheap 850i

[Chester Drawers]

Looks very dodgy. If it's a 97 car it should have the M73 5.4 ltr engine but the listing shows 4988 (that'd be an M70). Wheels look awful and the interior looks like a scrap-yard special. Even it's cheap it could be a world of pain if it hasn't been looked after. I'd steer well clear.

Edit: definitely not a 97 car, the gearshift is from the earlier (pre M73) style i.e. non steptronic 4 speed autobox.

Edited by Chester Drawers on Sunday 5th October 12:27

[Ment-Al]

Destroyed a perfectly nice car!

[derin100]

Chester Drawers said:

Looks very dodgy. If it's a 97 car it should have the M73 5.4 ltr engine but the listing shows 4988 (that'd be an M70). Wheels look awful and the interior looks like a scrap-yard special. Even it's cheap it could be a world of pain if it hasn't been looked after. I'd steer well clear.

Edit: definitely not a 97 car, the gearshift is from the earlier (pre M73) style i.e. non steptronic 4 speed autobox.

Edited by Chester Drawers on Sunday 5th October 12:27

It's probably listed it as the 4988cc engine as he has probably just used the Autotrader automatic listing feature. I think it's correct that the 5.4L was never available as a UK RHD variant (i.e LHD only)? Thus Autotrader probably only recognises the 4988cc variant.

Either way it's hideous and IMHO not even worth the £4K being asked for it.

Edited by derin100 on Sunday 5th October 14:46

[Chester Drawers]

Hi, yes you're correct that the 5.4 ltr M73 V12 was never sold in RHD, I live in Switzerland and my 850Ci is a 1997 with the M73 and yes, it's LHD. The other thing is, the M73 was never used with the 4 speed auto, only the steptronic so the car in the ad is definitely not a 1997 car - it may be a late registered car though but if I recall correctly, the M73 was used from late 1995 onwards so it was bloody late.

Edited by Chester Drawers on Sunday 5th October 18:41

[_Deano]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Either that or someone with extremely poor taste went mad with the 'Individual' options!!

To be fair, an awful lot of individual cars are pretty bloody minging.

Edited by caboosemoose on Sunday 5th October 12:42

would agree with you on them wheels, def from a DB7 or the same styling at least.

[BAHN-STORMA]

Steer clear!!!

[MitchT]

BAHN-STORMA said:

Steer clear!!!

I wasn't thinking of buying it, I just wanted to share my amusement! Would love an 8 though.

[wayneblackwell]

MitchT said:

BAHN-STORMA said:

Steer clear!!!

I wasn't thinking of buying it, I just wanted to share my amusement! Would love an 8 though.

Well its certainly a buyers market for a big V8 or V12 and there are some stunning examples for sale at the moment.

[eliot]

As someone once said to me "rich mans ford probe" - sadly very true.

[wayneblackwell]

eliot said:

As someone once said to me "rich mans ford probe" - sadly very true.

If someone said that to me I would be very annoyed to say the least.

What has a German made, 50k plus, solidly built, superb looking machine (even today after nearly 20 years when it first rolled off the line) got to do with a frigging Ford Probe.
OK the 8 was not a huge success (which was to do with the economic climate at the time) but that's one of the reasons why these cars attract so much attention.

*Jumping off the soapbox now*

[MitchT]

wayneblackwell said:

Well its certainly a buyers market for a big V8 or V12 and there are some stunning examples for sale at the moment.

Certainly is. I've seen some superb 8s for sale for less than £10k. I'm just not quite ready for one yet.

eliot said:

As someone once said to me "rich mans ford probe" - sadly very true.

It's nothing like a Ford Probe. The 8 Series is better engineered than most BMWs, never mind the Probe, and unlike the Probe its engine is connected to the correct pair of wheels.

[eliot]

I was considering one until a mate made the 'probe' comment to me and when I looked again and couldn't help agreeing.
Look at it from this angle and tell me that it doesn't look a bit like a probe:
http://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet...

[parksie]

eliot said:

I was considering one until a mate made the 'probe' comment to me and when I looked again and couldn't help agreeing.
Look at it from this angle and tell me that it doesn't look a bit like a probe:
http://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet...

Interesting !! I've just been onto the Ford probe section in these classified pages, I see what you mean!!!!!















They both have 2 doors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and thats about where the compraision should stop.

[Chester Drawers]

eliot said:

As someone once said to me "rich mans ford probe" - sadly very true.

Top Gear magazine told you that. One reason to punch Jeremy Clarkson on the nose.

Similarities to a Ford Probe? both have four wheels, both have two doors. That's about it. One is an ordinary re-mobile in a party frock dressed up for the "metrosexual" the other is properly engineered designed and built to be a continent crushing cruiser GT almost supercar. Which would you rather have?

[carter711]

An 8 series in Estoril blue with AC Schnitzer wheels is pure sex, a ford probe is pure crap what ever its description.

[Job38]

Just put a Ford oval on the front, you'd never tell the difference.