Hero-grade BMW 850 CSi for sale
The 1980s - a time of excess. And thank God, too, because it gave us the excessive but wonderful 850 CSi
Why didn’t the BMW 8 Series – the original one – earn quite the respect it deserved? And it did deserve it, because it was a fantastic-looking car in its day, and just keeps getting more and more head-turnery as time marches on. Especially when it’s presented with some key attributes like this one: black metallic paint, stunning BBS split-rim multi-spokes, two-tone leather. Oh yes, and a V12 stoked by you, using a stick. The 850 CSi is a magnificent beast.
The E31 has that oh-so ‘80s look but it’s not brash. It’s surprisingly subtle for the decade of excess, and slippery. The 8 Series’ drag coefficient was just 0.29, which meant it was the ultimate Autobahn barnstormer. And while the Alpina B12, sporting a 420hp 5.7-litre V12 with manual ‘box was the ultimate variant, the 850 CSi is not to be dismissed. It’s a phenomenal and rare example of the breed – just 1,510 made it off the line.
It has so much to savour. The wedge shape as you walk up to it; the enveloping interior as you get in; and the quiet hiss before the storm – when you click the ignition through those initial notches and the fuel pumps begin to prime. And then you go that extra stage. The final click round to energise the starter, and you listen; listen as that classic, unmistakable V12 cranking action begins. It’s smoother than any other cylinder configuration, with its 12 compression points evening out the peaks and troughs, so it whirrs wonderfully, and then… Then it fires (well, hopefully).
The V12 in the CSi was the same format as the regular 850i. But it was tuned so much that BMW gave it its own engine code; it changed from the M70 to S70 - in this case, the S70B56. It was originally intended to power an M8, but in the end that idea was scrapped due to a lack of demand. The S70B56 only ever went into the 850 CSi, but it did, of course, spawn developments – the most notable of which was the S70/2 that featured in the McLaren F1.
It was a cutting-edge piece of design. The M70 engine had switched to hydraulic tappets, a timing chain to improve durability, and it was all aluminium to reduce weight. And it sported the latest Bosch electronics, including accurate mass airflow sensors measuring the air being sucked into each induction branch and a drive-by-wire throttle instead of a cable. But the S70 went even further.
BMW used lighter pistons, a forged crankshaft, and higher-lift cams, which along with its less restrictive exhaust and intake, improved the engine’s breathing considerably. And the S70 was bored and stroked to raise the displacement from 5.0-litres to 5.6, topped off by a higher compression ratio. It wasn’t quite the 6.0-litre, 640hp monster promised for the stillborn M8, but the development was still so significant that it earned that ‘S’ designation. Power jumped from 295hp (in the 850i) to 375hp, with torque boosted considerably to 406lb ft.
There were plenty of mechanical upgrades beyond just the engine. The 850 CSi came with stiffer and lower springs, improved dampers, and it launched BMW’s active rear axle kinematics – electro-hydraulic rear-wheel steering. At the front end, the recirculating ball steering was also quicker, and it came with bigger ventilated discs, more cooling for the engine and diff, and better aerodynamics. The front and rear bumpers were redesigned to make the car more slippery, as did its bespoke door mirrors. And those, along with the four, round, stainless steel exhaust pipes poking out of the bumper, became the M-car motifs we know so well today.
Beyond that lot, what made the 850 CSi so special was that you could only buy it with a six-speed manual gearbox. And what better way to enjoy that very special V12 experience than a manual shift? That’s why the 850 CSi is the 8 Series that did earn respect in its day, and continues to do so now.
Specification | BMW 850 CSi
Engine: 5,576cc, V12, naturally aspirated
Transmission: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 375 @ 5,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 406lb ft @ 4,000rpm
CO2: N/A
MPG: N/A
Recorded mileage: 135,000
Year registered: 1994
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £69,995
This article mentions Hammond buying a 54k mile 850Ci for £6.7k on a 2011 Top Gear episode for example.
https://www.carthrottle.com/post/i-bought-the-chea...
Old Colonel cars have a 95 model CSi with 105k on it. That's up for £55k. I guess you'd need to inspect both to see where the £15k variance comes from.
Old Colonel cars have a 95 model CSi with 105k on it. That's up for £55k. I guess you'd need to inspect both to see where the £15k variance comes from.
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