When I was but a teenaged car freak, few cars held the appeal of the original BMW 8 Series coupe. Introduced in 1989, the 8 Series, specifically the V-12-powered 850i, was truly perceived as the ultimate in ultimate driving machines. What would Gordon Gekko drive? An 8 Series, obviously.
With the possible exception of the i8, BMW hasn’t built a lustworthy halo car since the OG 8, and I say the brand’s image has suffered as a result. Fast forward to now: Even though luxury coupe sales are nearly nonexistent, BMW is bringing back the 8 Series to try to get some of that swaggering, master-of-the-universe mojo back.
Tall order. See, the 4,500-pound elephant in the room is that the new G11 8 Series—like the old 6 Series—is derived from the 5 Series. Ye olde E31 8 Series was a completely unique platform that BMW spent eight years and $1.5 billion developing. This one? I figured the M850i would be nothing but an M550i with two doors hacked off. And so it was in beautiful Sintra, Portugal, home of the legendary former F1 circuit of Estoril, that I approached BMW’s effort at a flagship coupe with a heart full of hope but a mind full of cynicism. In the case of the 2019 BMW M850i xDrive, the heart fortunately, magnificently, thrillingly wins over the head.
Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av Motor Trend.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av Motor Trend.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
2023 GMC Canyon
MC, the luxe-truck division of General Motors, has long struggled to differentiate its products from mechanically similar Chevrolets.
2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty
The heavy-duty truck world moves more slowly than other pickup classes, and progress comes in spurts. Take the Ford F-Series Super Duty, whose recent refresh included softer-edged styling, a new entry-level gas-fed V-8, a new high-output 6.7-liter turbodiesel V-8, and myriad small improvements like new bedside steps. Is it still basically the same truck as before? Absolutely, but it’s also a better Super Duty, however incrementally.
2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD
When Chevrolet unveiled its all-new 2020 Silverado HD lineup, it set the truck world ablaze, and not in a good way.
THE CHEVROLET COLORADO IS THE 2024 MOTORTREND TRUCK OF THE YEAR
A BROAD LINEUP DELIVERS AN IMPRESSIVE RANGE OF OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE TO EVERYDAY LIVABILITY
HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE THE 80?!
THE FIRST-GENERATION NISSAN PATHFINDER IS AN SUV THROWBACK TO A TOTALLY RAD TIME, FOR SURE
BAVARIAN ECONS 2002te
THIS ELECTRIC BMW RESTOMOD LOSES ITS ENGINE BUT NOT ITS SOUL
2023 PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS FIRST TEST
PORSCHE'S MOST FOCUSED 911 OF ALL TIME MUST BE EXPERIENCED AT ITS LIMITS TO BE UNDERSTOOD
2024 TRUCK OF THE YEAR MADE IN MICHIGAN
AFTER DECADES IN THE WEST, TRUCK OF THE YEAR MOVES TO MICHIGAN
YOUR ICON OF ICONS: CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Was there ever any doubt? MotorTrend readers are largely American, and as much as we love Jeeps, Mustangs, and F-150s in this country, the Corvette has been “America’s sports car” for nearly as long as this publication has existed. That’s why you chose it via our online vote as the most iconic car of the past 75 years.
MOTORTREND CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
The 10 Most Iconic Vehicles of Our Time and Much More
