The first-gen BMW 8 Series is a bit of an odd car. Back when it was new, in the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s, it wasn’t a very loved car. It wasn’t hated by any means but there seemed to be an overwhelming feeling that it wasn’t as good as it could have been. There was a ton of potential there but the original E31 8 Series never quite lived up to it. However, now that we look back on the 8 Series, we sort of look back on it with rose-tinted glasses. It seems to be quite loved by BMW enthusiasts now, despite not being so loved when it was new. Top Gear recently made a list of reasons why we love the 8 Series now more than ever.
First, its looks. The E31 BMW 8 Series has always been a real looker. The B-pillarless profile, the short rear deck, long slanted nose and fat rear end make it look like a proper sporty grand tourer. It ticks all the right design boxes and its design will remain handsome for many, many years to come. One of the other design elements that really make the 8 Series great is its pop-up headlights. Why do we as enthusiasts love pop-up headlights so much, especially when they’re impractical, often break and annoying to fix? Because they’re awesome, that’s why. I think they bring out the inner kids in us, especially those of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s.
Another reason why it’s loved so much is the fact that it came with a V12. It was also an odd V12, as it was basically two BMW I6 engines glued together and it even had two ECUs one for each bank of cylinders. It was odd but it was brilliant. And if you ordered your 8 Series with a V12, you could also have it with a manual gearbox. Which is incredible.
It also brought us the first BMW M8, albeit as a concept car that never actually ended up coming to fruition. Still, it gave BMW enthusiasts a front-engine supercar to dream of and it was one helluva cool car. It packed a naturally-aspirated V12 engine, an engine that was the basis of the best road-going production engine of all time — the S70/2 V12 in the McLaren F1.
So the BMW 8 Series was a car that took many years to truly be appreciated. When it was new, it was so incredibly expensive while also being overly complicated, to it was never quite worth the money or headache. Now, though, it can truly be appreciated for what it is.
[Source: Top Gear]
when I saw it for the first thime I was a kid… It was in 1991 I think… The guy that owned it came back to Czechoslovakia from west germany after communists were gone… This CAR was sitting there between old crap commie cars and looked like something from the outer space that visited us…. Unbelieveble and very strong experience, that I will never ever forget. This started my love with 8er that will never end…
Yeah, Bimmers in 90’s were something like Buggati today. They looked so special, they felt so special, and they sounded so special. They were so much simpler in that time than they are today, and they probably looked better than today. We can just say goodbye to the old glory days of BMW, and say hello to new, Peugeot-powered FWD X2.
Yeah, f..ing true! I love BMW´s, but old ones… I have had e21,e34,e38,e65,e60 and unfortunately, the newer, the worse :(. But this trend is visible also in all other brands… Missing that simple nimble cars….
Ref comments above…
I think special BMWs are still being born. Our current visuals have been influenced and expanded by so many new and challenging designs. One look at the new Kia Stinger GT proves design is not a monopoly. 20 years from now, we will probably pine for a few of the decried bimmers of today. I for one love the F10 M5 among others. The E53 4.8is is also lovely. An E65 B7 with its boy racer looks is an eye-catcher still.