850Ci

[Black328iS]

today, saw an 850Ci with an AC Schnitzer badge in the front grille....god i love those cars! Theyre pretty rare im guessing?

[BlackChrome]

Not as rare as the CSi!

[SilverBeam]

I saw a black on black 850csi last week. I almost wet myself. I waved like mad to the driver from my 7er, but the guy was so suave that he didn't even see me. Paused just long enough to flick the ash off his cigarette and turned right.

But yeah, 8s in general are rare. Even an 840ci is enough to oggle over.

[Rob Nance]

Originally posted by little740girl
I saw a black on black 850csi last week. I almost wet myself. I waved like mad to the driver from my 7er, but the guy was so suave that he didn't even see me. Paused just long enough to flick the ash off his cigarette and turned right.

But yeah, 8s in general are rare. Even an 840ci is enough to oggle over.

That's sad, stinking up and ruining a great car. I don't know how people can smoke period, nevermind in their cars. Do you all that smoke defile your cars with it?

[Mikeini]

my question for the 8 series - HOW COME SUCH A BADASS CAR IS ALWAYS AN AUTOMATIC (99.999999% OF THE TIME)??????????/

what a waste! thats one of my dream cars .

one day , one day.

mike

[Rob Nance]

Originally posted by Mikeini
my question for the 8 series - HOW COME SUCH A BADASS CAR IS ALWAYS AN AUTOMATIC (99.999999% OF THE TIME)??????????/

what a waste! thats one of my dream cars .

one day , one day.

mike

I've read enough threads here to note that at least one, if not more models are automatic only (for certain years).

Also tie in the fact that even the top 850csi was not a phenomenal performer, most manuals would probably be on this model...and it is ultra rare. The lower models wouldn't have intriqued those looking for power at that price tag as much, so you get more luxury type buyers, because it was luxurious, and beautiful.

Just my thoughts.

[Mikeini]

i think you hit the nail on the head rob.

still in my dreams though -

[LinearX]

The only place the 850 performed worse than it's price tag would suggest is at launch. On the highway where it belongs it has very respectable acceleration.

[SilverBeam]

The 8 is the ultimate touring machine. Not unlike the 7 series, they are straight line rockets. They were built for that, not to conquer the turns like a 3, they are far to heavy and long for that. Although, I bet if you fixed the suspension up nicely that they would be a force to be reckoned with in a canyon run.

It made me really sad to see this guy smoking in the 8. My mom smoked in my car for five years. It took me about six months to make the smell go away all together. I even steam cleaned the headliner in an attempt to get rid of the smell.

[sirtiger]

6 mos? at least u got the smell out... some people never get the smell out.. .it just lingers....

[ajw45]

Yeah Rob, BMW had some problems figuring out who they were marketing the 8 series to. All the Csi's were manuals and BMW discontinued the 6-speed option in the Ci/i models after they moved to the 5.4L v12 in 1993. In all, only about 200 Csi's officially made it to the states, and about another 2-300 manual equipped 850's came in from 1991-1993. It was too bad because the 6spd equipped 850 is almost a full second faster in the 0-60 than its auto counterpart...

Hey 740girl, interested in a canyon ready suspension for your 8?
http://www.bmwe31.com/Modifications.htm
The new sways make the old ones look like toothpicks

[Mikeini]

thanks for the info ajw45.

so basically im going to get a 91-93 850 (csi) .. :-d

mike

[TerryY]

There usually seem to be a few 850i 6 speeds for sale across the country. And an occasional 850Csi too. Prices are still slowly coming down and a lot of low mileage cars seem to be popping up now at premium prices.

I decided on an 840 after a couple of months of search and watching prices. Drove a couple of 850i's and they did not seem as fast as my Euro chipped e32 740 unless they were re-geared.

The 840Ci seems as fast as the 850i but with fewer sound effects.

The Euro chip in the 840 turns it into a rocket ship! Comparatively speaking of course! Supposed to put out 320hp from 4 liters. It feels like more than 20 hp over the Dinan chip that normally resides there.

All are fast. Quick starts at about 30mph and it just keeps on coming!! Speed limiter is set at 155mph on the 840.

Terry

[ajw45]

To be fair, you gotta go chip for chip. The conforti chip adds a whopping 40hp and almost as many lbs of torque to the 5L V12 at the wheels. The V12 was super detuned at only 8:1 compression and designed for regular gas so chips from both Dinan and Conforti make huge differences.

Don't forget to get the Dinan tranny chip for that 840, that plus whichever engine chip you get should be big fun. On the other hand, you could go FI on the V8.......

[TerryY]

I have a G-tech coming so I can do "difference" readings between the Dinan , stock (from 740) and the euro chip I have coming.

Seat of the pants they feel like stairsteps with the Dinan being the middle stair.

I am looking forward to playing with the loud pedal!! Not that I have ever needed an excuse.

Terry

[GotBHP?]

once at sears point for a driving school i went to there was a 850ci 6 speed with exhaust, r compounds, and intake it looked like in the same class i was in. sounded sooooo sweet

[TerryY]

I think that one of my projects has got to be getting my 840 to sound better from the exaust.
The 850's that I test drove seemed to make more sound effects from the front than the rear.
The 840 rumbles a bit at and around idle and then the sound seems to change to moving intake air.
I think that I am getting to old because somehow I still believe that a V8 should sound like a V8. Too many old muscle cars in my past I suppose.

Terry

[ajw45]

Time for some straight pipes! I think you can go straight pipes all the way from the cats to the tips. Some of the 850 owners have done it and it's not too loud. Maybe add an x-pipe? I must be getting old because I'm starting to wish the exhaust (supersprints) were a little quieter in the mid rpm range for long highway driving. I've heard that the remus exhausts for the 8 are pretty deep and rumbly... I know the one on my 6 sets off car alarms in the garge ramp after ramp....

[TerryY]

The way it used to be done was mufflers up front and develop the sound with the pipes extending back.

Somewhere along the way the rear mufflers came into vogue and now the sound has to be developed only in the muffler and tips.
I suppose that is the origin of the coffee can tips.

There is room under the 8 to use oval mufflers to replace the resonators and carry a substantial size pipe to the tips. That should still provide the back pressure the engine is tuned against and provide a tunable "Horn" with the pipe and tips.

I've had systems that were close to window shattering in the past and that isn't what I am aiming for. More of the musical end of the scale. Subwoofer end? Might be hard to do with only 4 liters.

Terry