The BMW M850i xDrive is still a novelty these days. Even though it was launched about a year ago, the car is still rare enough on public roads that people gawk at it. It’s a beautiful thing too, with a design meant to excite and start discussions. The guys from The Smoking Tire have finally taken one out for a spin, in their usual One Take format, and published their thoughts on Youtube.

While there’s no Matt Farah here, Zack does a good job at telling us how the new M850i xDrive feels on the road. One of his initial remarks points out just how silky smooth that twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 delivers its 523 HP and 553 lb-ft of torque. While other turbocharged cars might have a more blunt delivery, in the M850i things are smooth. This thing is also deceivingly fast and there’s just no denying that.

Zack was impressed by most of the tech included on the new 8 Series but he did find some of it either redundant or downright annoying. You include the Gesture Control in the first category and the voice activated BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant in the latter. It’s not that they’re not useful, but, at least in the case of the personal assistant, they do get triggered by mistake and that just get tiring after a while.

TEST DRIVE: 2019 BMW M850i xDrive — And This Isn’t Even the M8 Yet

In the end though, choosing the perfect car in the price range of the M850i xDrive could be a tricky thing to get right. As Zack points out, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe is more expensive while the Lexus LC500 has some issues with the technology on board. That means BMW has priced this car perfectly, right between its competitors, making it a very good proposition for someone interested in a fast, luxurious GT.

He also agrees that there’s just no comparing the BMW M850i xDrive to a Porsche 911.