E31

The BMW E31 was the 8 Series and instantly became BMWs flagship model upon release in 1989 until 1999 when production ceased. While it was launched at the same time the E24 6 Series production was finished it was not a direct replacement, it was seen as more of a Grand Tourer and was aimed at a much more exclusive market and so commanded a substantially higher price and better performance than the E24 and was fitted with a brand new range of V8 and V12 engines.

The E31 made large technical advancements for BMW, during the development process CAD and wind tunnel testing, this was still very new technology for car design at the time. The E31 was the first road car to feature a V12 engine mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox and was also one of the first to use an electronic throttle. It also featured BMWs early attempts at multi-link rear suspension. Even 4 wheel steering was available on some models.

Despite all these advancements in performace and other luxuries options combined with futuristic styling the E31 wasn't the success BMW had hoped for. Press reviews were luke warm due to the weight of the car and the timing of the launch coincided with a global recession and spiralling energy costs.

There were 4 models that were made available during the life of the E31. The 840Ci, 850i, 850Ci & 850CSi. The 840Ci was the only one to use the V8 engines, the M60B40 up to 1995 and the the M62B44 until 1997 when production of this model ended.

The 850i was the first E31 available from launch and was fitted with the M70B50 V12 engine, this was then superceeded by the 850Ci fitted with the M73B54 engine in 1994. The range topping 850CS1 was available from 1992 until 1996, this was as close to an M8 BMW ever got, the engine fitted was an M-Division built S70B56. This model also featured adjusted steering ratios, 4 wheel steering, reshaped bumpers, uprated suspension and was aonly available with a manual gearbox. Production of the 850CSi ended in late 1996 because the S70 engine could not be modified to comply with new emission regulations without substantial re-engineering.

Model	Model Year	Production years	Engine	Volume	Engine alloy	Power	Torque	0 to 100	Production total
840Ci	1993–95	1992–96	M60B40 V8	3,982 cc (4 L)	Nikasil	282 hp	300 lbft	6.9s	4,728
840Ci	1996–99	1995–99	M62B44 V8	4,398 cc (4.4 L)	Alusil	282 hp	310 lbft	6.6s	3,075
850i	1990–94	1989–94	M70B50 V12	4,988 cc (5 L)	Alusil	295 hp	330 lbft	6.8s	20,072
850Ci	1995–99	1994–99	M73B54 V12	5,379 cc (5.4 L)	Alusil	322 hp	360 lbft	6.3s	1,218
850CSi	1992–96	1992–96	S70B56 V12	5,576 cc (5.6 L)	Alusil	375 hp	420 lbft	5.6s	1,510