2019 BMW M850i Review Review

So they’ve changed the name and added £23k to the bill?

Not quite. The 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine might be closely related, but performance swells dramatically from 449bhp to 523bhp, xDrive all-wheel drive is now standard, and you also get much more standard equipment, including BMW’s very latest infotainment system.

Crucially, the 8-series platform is also completely new versus the 6-series, and shares its ‘carbon-core’ construction with the 7-series, which is built at the same Dingolfing production facility. That means – a little confusingly – a mostly steel bodyshell and aluminium panels with carbonfibre for the transmission tunnel, if not the carbon roof beams, roof pillars and sills of the 7-series. Our test car’s carbonfibre roof is optional.

What’s the BMW 8-series like inside?

It’s highly impressive, if still very much a £100k BMW, with infotainment like the current 3-series. But this is also a class-leading system, with crisp, clear digital instrumentation that can be controlled via a rotary controller, the touchscreen, gestures (twirl the air to adjust the volume) or even voice commands.

These familiar screens and controls are housed in a new leather-trimmed dashboard, there’s new jewellery in the form of a cut-glass finish for the iDrive controller and gearknob, and quality certainly seems on par for the price. The low-set driving position is also purposefully sporty in the best BMW tradition.

There’s no doubt that you’re in a BMW, then, but it definitely feels like a special BMW… if quite a small one should you get in the back, despite the 8-series measuring a pretty huge 4.85 metres and feeling quite opulent up front. There just isn’t enough room for full-size adults back there. At least the boot is a sensible 420 litres.

Does the 8-series drive like a luxury GT or sports car?

It’s a bit of both. Cruise up the motorway and it’s the indulgently refined: the interior is so hushed you could be wearing ear plugs, the suspension has a plush, elastic feel at speed (though it fidgets a little in town) and acceleration comes in such an effortless flood from just 2000rpm that you wonder why everyone else is driving so slowly. This is a relaxed way to cover huge distances quickly.

But the M850i can also entertain its driver cross-country, deploys its huge reserves of power calmly thanks to xDrive all-wheel drive and feels far keener to scythe through corners than its proportions and hefty 1890kg suggest, partly because standard all-wheel steering allows the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction to the fronts at up to 55mph.

The twin-turbo V8 also provides more than just easy torque, with a deep bellow and rich performance that encourages you to explore the higher reaches of the rev counter. Add in the eight-speed automatic’s fast, slick gear changes and the unflappable chassis and this performance feels endless and always available.

If there’s one criticism to the M850i’s hunger to carve through corners, it’s that the all-wheel steering can be a little too obvious ­– the best systems just work without drawing quite so much attention to themselves.

In a nutshell

If the M850i seems like an expensive indulgence, it absolutely is… but this near-£100k BMW also has much of the appeal of the Bentley Continental GT for a fraction of the cost, and drives with a nimbler, more agile enthusiasm too. Whether you’ll use it as a luxury GT or high-performance sports coupe, there’s much to recommend the M850i. Just don’t expect to get adults in those tiny rear seats.

Similar Car Reviews

If you’re after a relatively affordable lightweight mid-engined sports car, then the lesser-known Alpine A110 is a great contender.

If you’re looking for a more traditional sports cars Porsche 718 Cayman T is nicely positioned between the entry-level Cayman and the Cayman S. You also cannot rule out the Porsche 911 Careera 2S Cabriolet as an alternative if you’re looking for a soft-top sports car. With 444bhp you’ll do 0-62mph in an impressive 3.9 seconds.

Alternatively, there is the Toyota GR Supra Pro. It’s essentially a BMW Z4, but with the Japanese classic sports car design.