Hi,

I've been a BMW enthusiast for as long as I can remember and am considering buying a 8 series at the end of this summer. Without a doubt the 8 series has the perfect balance of styling, comfort and power, but is the performance really up there too? 0-60 times seem a bit slugish with other cars I'm looking into buying.(3000gt, 911, 968, supra, sl500) I do realize that the 8 series offers more top end performance, and considering it was built in Germany it was probably a great autobahn car. I'd like to mod my next car somewhat and I'll probably be taking it to the drag strip every so often. I'm not looking for a race car, just a fun machine that's street legal. So anyhow what kind of mods are out there to make the 8 series a little quicker? Has anyone ever changed the axel ratios or gearbox for more acceleration?

Any input regarding any of the 8 series performance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-Jon

Jon,

You're right that the car was built for the autobahn. Depending on the model the rear axle was in the 2.82/1 area. Some owners have gone as low as 3.91/1 for better off the line performance.

Even at that this car is really not at home on the drag strip. Think of it as a 7 series in a fancy suit. Drive train wise that's what it is. The weight is in the 4100 - 4300 lb range, again depending on model.

It's really a cruiser, fast, but not quick. You can change that to some extent with mods, but a lot of that will have to be hand fabricated. They only brought about 6000 into the US over the seven year production run so there is no interest from the tuners in producing go-fast stuff for such a small number of vehicles.

Hope this helps,

Vance

Jon,

A great resource is the #56 issue (February '06) of Bimmer magazine. There's an E31 buyers guide that details the U.S. model history/changes, common maintenance items and options for modifications. This will answer all your questions.

Call 415-382-0580 for more information.

I have been subscribed to this magazine since '99 and they combine information on current models/news with great historical coverage to give you a well rounded BMW experience; as far as information goes. They have also printed a buyers guide for almost every platform, so those issues are great resources as well.

Colin

Hi,

I've been a BMW enthusiast for as long as I can remember and am considering buying a 8 series at the end of this summer. Without a doubt the 8 series has the perfect balance of styling, comfort and power, but is the performance really up there too? 0-60 times seem a bit slugish with other cars I'm looking into buying.(3000gt, 911, 968, supra, sl500) I do realize that the 8 series offers more top end performance, and considering it was built in Germany it was probably a great autobahn car. I'd like to mod my next car somewhat and I'll probably be taking it to the drag strip every so often. I'm not looking for a race car, just a fun machine that's street legal. So anyhow what kind of mods are out there to make the 8 series a little quicker? Has anyone ever changed the axel ratios or gearbox for more acceleration?

Any input regarding any of the 8 series performance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-Jon

As much as I love the 8 series and as close as i was to purchasing one, I ended up buying an e36 m3 as a result of mods and and maintenance. Maintenance on an 8 series will kill you, especially on the 850's. And mods generally tend to cost more. you cant go wrong with an e36 m3 or even an e34 m5, as you will get equivilent performance. Modded 8 serires are sick as hell though nonetheless, so if money is not an issue, go for it.

Hi,

I've been a BMW enthusiast for as long as I can remember and am considering buying a 8 series at the end of this summer. Without a doubt the 8 series has the perfect balance of styling, comfort and power, but is the performance really up there too? 0-60 times seem a bit slugish with other cars I'm looking into buying.(3000gt, 911, 968, supra, sl500) I do realize that the 8 series offers more top end performance, and considering it was built in Germany it was probably a great autobahn car. I'd like to mod my next car somewhat and I'll probably be taking it to the drag strip every so often. I'm not looking for a race car, just a fun machine that's street legal. So anyhow what kind of mods are out there to make the 8 series a little quicker? Has anyone ever changed the axel ratios or gearbox for more acceleration?

Any input regarding any of the 8 series performance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-Jon



:banghead:

Wow. Dude, a drag strip? You realize you are talking about an 850 right? I think you have this cars performance a little mixed up. Yes, it has 300 HP, but have you not realized it weighs 4100+ LBS? Sure it's 300 HP, but this isn't a STi, this car is FAR, FAR from home on a drag strip. This car is more of a LUXURY performance car. It is not meant for racing. It's just more of a quick luxury car, that turns into a highway monster. Not much else. If you are looking for any car on a dragstrip, this car is not for you, or any BMW for that matter.

Also, if you are looking for one anyways, any 850 sold that cheap is just awaiting issues. This car was $100,000 new, Let me repeat that so you get it $100,000!!! Who in there right mind would sell that expensive of a car for UNDER $10k? You don't see new M6s being sold for $10k do you? With anything, you get what you pay for, and I think what you want out of a car, this one is not for you. This car takes a lot of money to maintain, mostly why people stay away from them unless as a collecters item. So hope that helps, because you'd have well over the amount of the car in repairs the day you pulled in the driveway.

Yeah, not to many performance mods out there, but if you have the money Dinan sells some stuff. The 850 isn't really the best drag strip car as it weighs far to much to even begin to out-preform anything that will be at the track. It is definetly a sweet looking highway car that will soon be worth having as a collectors item only. I've had mine for a few years and even the smallest of repairs are outrageously expensive. But if you've got the money then definetly go for it. I love it when people don't have a clue what kind of car it is.