THE GRAND
COMEBACK
BMW rises to greater heights with its new 8 Series models.
WORDS NAWAF RAHMANT
hey say one should never tinker with a good thing, especially
if it is an icon. This is probably how BMW sees its second-
generation 8 Series. First launched in the 1990s, it caught the
attention of the automotive world as a luxurious sports coupé
with rigorous engineering that turns up the ultimate driving experience
to 11. Unfortunately, the car was discontinued in 1999 with only
30,000 units sold.
Two decades later, the 8 Series returns, shining brighter than ever.
Revised and improved while retaining the base car’s DNA, the new
BMW M850i xDrive Coupé is a spectacular machine. The German
marque presents a solid formula of the beautiful car with a personality
upgrade – a more sinister and sculpted transformation with broad
shoulders and 20-inch alloy wheels filling the swollen arches. A car
that looks so badass in such a good way will definitely make fellow
road users slow down and admire.
Despite being a grand tourer, the M850i sounds and feels more
like a bona fide sports car. Made for long, open highways, its steering
is sharp and responsive. The eight-speed automatic and 530hp twin-
turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine has the sort of long-leggedness that
makes the car feels like it could sustain a pace of 250km/h all day
long. Although heavy at 1,900kg, it feels positively lithe, easily turningcorners with tremendous agility and accuracy while dashing from 0 to
60km/h in just 3.7 seconds. Away from the open highways, the engine
performance remains gobsmacking. Toggle the car into “Comfort” mode
and cruise around town effortlessly at a polite noise level.
The M850i also packs many of BMW’s latest technology and
connectivity – active cruise control, lane change and lane departure,
parking assistant, collision warning, cross-traffic alert, and adaptive LED
lights are all available. The innovation does not stop there. For the first
time, BMW introduces the Intelligent Personal Assistant and Digital Key.
Having the options of gesture control and voice command, similar to Siri,
mean that a perfect co-driver is on board, while the digital key feature
allows one to lock and unlock the car from a smartphone.
The interior is equally stunning – seats are upholstered in Merino
leather, and the abundance of aluminium trims paired with piano-
black surfaces illuminate an upscale, contemporary aura. Other
interior highlights include the 16-speaker Harman Kardon Surround
Sound System as well as the improved Live Cockpit Professional that
oversees a bewildering array of connected services.
The M850i demonstrates that BMW has achieved more than most
through the decades to locate the sweet spot between artisanship and
engineering.LUXURY Wheels