MAY 2019 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 133Our carsCharles is besotted with his
Mercedes-AMG C43 – in many ways
a kind of mini-M850i – and perhapsBMW M850i
Month 2The story so far
BMW’s spanking new flagship
big coupe, which we liked on
the launch, then placed fourth
(and last) in a Giant Test
+Astonishing refinement and
comfort; V8 stomp; idiotproof
handling and all-wheel drive- M850i pricing starts at
£97,500; it weighs 1965kg; no
room for passengers’ legs
Price £99,525 (£108,405 as
tested) Performance 4395cc
V8, 523bhp, 3.7sec 0-62mph,
155mph Efficiency 26.2-
26.9mpg (official), 20.8mpg
(tested), 224g/km C02 Energy
cost 26p per mile Miles this
month 1079 Total miles 4137LogbookTHE BMW FAN AND
TESLA OWNER
Former BMW fanboy turned
Teslarati Andy loves the idea of
a fast, refined and handsome
conveyance but isn’t sure he
doesn’t already own it – an
85D Model S.
‘I normally drive
pretty steadily but
this just wants you
to beast it!’
CHARLES BENNIEFor all its gesture control and xDrive
all-wheel drive, BMW’s M850i is an
archaic automotive proposition – a
big, heavy, quite beautiful hunk
of metal with space for two, seats
for another two and a monstrous
4.4-litre V8. It’s about as progressive
as a Sunday roast. It also costs
£99,525 before options and will rip
through a gallon of unleaded in
under 20 miles without trying.
So, it makes no sense. But finding
CAR readers keen to drive it is easy
nevertheless....prime for conversion to the 8-series
fan club, of which I’m founding
member and chairperson. But we
don’t get off to a great start...
Straight off, Charles notes that
visibility of the car’s extremities
is poor – an issue exacerbated by
the ultra-low driving position
that works well once you’re up to
speed. And, powering from one
tight corner to another, Charles
is also quick to point out just how
heavy the BMW feels. He asks for
numbers. I don’t sugar the pill,
and tell him straight that this
carbon-roofed sports coupe weighs
1965kg. ‘Hmmm, yes, that is a lot...’
But then the M850i starts to
fight back, first with an effortless
thump of acceleration to get up to
speed on a slip-road. ‘Shit! It’s got
a lot of poke – what a wonderful
engine. A purring beast that’s
ready to blast off whenever you
need it to,’ gushes Charles as the
4.4-litre V8 does its thing. ‘Fabulous
engine but very discreet too, unlike
AMG’s V8s. This suits me better.
But for all its manners it needs no
encouragement whatsoever to get
up to speed.’
As we power on, trading dual
carriageway for sweeping rural
roads, the BMW sets about really
snaring Charles’s heart. Driving
with the unhurried confidence of a
man who enjoys his work, Charles
and the M850i gel.
‘I really like the brakes – they’ve
plenty of feel – but overwhelmingly
it’s the car’s effortlessness I love.
It’s so planted on the road, it goes
exactly where you want it to go –
thanks in part to the four-wheel
steering – and there’s so much
grip and composure; it laughs off
mid-corner bumps. I normally drive
pretty steadily but this just wants
you to beast it!’
Come the end of his drive,
Charles is smitten. ‘The more I
drive it, the more I like it – a most
extraordinary machine. Yes it’s
heavy but it’s incredibly solid and
beautifully made, and I love the
engine. I’ll have to make a bit more
money so I can get one of these.’ ⊲