Sunday 10th January 2016

BMW 850CSi: Spotted

An M Division 8 Series looking better than ever on the eve of its 21st birthday

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Here's a rare one: a BMW 850 CSi. A right-hand drive BMW 850 CSi no less. And, if the advert is to be believed, the only RHD CSi ever produced in Ascot Green. A genuine one-of-a-kind then.

Now many people will look at the CSi and think it's nothing more than a tarted up 850i or Ci, the former of which we featured back in 2012 as a £10K car. This CSi is not a £10K car, but more of that later. First it should be established exactly how the 850 CSi is not just another 8 Series.

Now that's an engine!

It is in fact an M Division car, overhauled by the same people making E34 M5s and the last few E30 M3s at the time the CSi arrived. Its V12 was bored and stroked out to 5.6 litres from 5.4, which doesn't initially sound like a lot, but with a forged crank, lighter pistons, new camshaft, higher compression and tweaks to the intake and exhaust, it took power to 385hp from 326. Torque climbed from 361lb ft to 406lb ft. Still not huge numbers for a V12 of that size, but 'proper' tuning will always hold far more emotional appeal than a reflash of the ECU or forced induction. It received an 'S' engine designation too, like the M-badged cars.

The ride height was lowered, with M Division work on the springs, dampers and speed sensitive power steering. A limited-slip diff was added and the European models received four-wheel steering as well.

So why is it not an M car? A bit too subtle, by all accounts. Both contemporary and retrospective reviews suggest the controls are still a bit too distant and the general demeanour more relaxed than you would expect of a full M car. Doesn't make the CSi a bad car by any stretch, and it sounds rather like the M Performance range of cars today really. Don't forget too that the unladen weight of 1,865kg doesn't look quite so lardy any more...

Apparently the only Ascot Green CSi in RHD

It's a car worth getting excited about then, even without the M badge on it. Is it worth getting excited about at £35,000? There's a more contentious argument. It's a very rare car, and certainly desirable to a few, but many won't appreciate the significance over even a normal 8 Series. Comparing it with a Porsche 928, as would have happened back in the early 90s, is pretty favourable for the CSi though. For a manual 928 GT, albeit with fewer miles than the BMW, a dealer is asking £60K. Or for another coupe from 1995 with an even bigger V12 than the 850, there's a very late XJS V12. Quite a bit less than both the Germans too.

This CSi could be available for a while given the price and the niche appeal, but you imagine the next owner will be rather chuffed indeed. Which way to the autobahn?

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BMW 850CSI
Engine: 5,576cc, V12
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 385@5,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 406@4,000rpm
MPG: 22
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1995
Recorded mileage: 70,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £34,995

See the original advert here.

[Sources: Auto-data, Road&Track, Hemmings, BMW E31.net]

[McAndy]

If I had that in spare change I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Lovely, lovely looking car.

[McAndy]

coyft said:

I had one when it was 6 months old, great looking car and the interior was a nice place to be, but I hated driving it, especially if you wanted to get a move on.

Stop! You're ruining it for me!

[McAndy]

Outside:
Inside: (Wooden car phone?!)

[McAndy]

soad said:

Unplug it.

This looks cleaner?

Much.

[McAndy]

Lowtimer said:

Interesting pic. You really can see the DNA there.

The M1 to 850 is clear to me, but I'm struggling to see much of a link other than the "kidney" grille between the 850 and i8.