BMW revived its 8 Series badge in 2018, having first applied the name to its large coupe of the 1990s. The latest model served effectively the same role too, competing with other luxury grand tourers and offering just a little more style than the brand’s executive saloons. Like its predecessor, 2018’s 8 Series even replaced a car badged 6 Series, too.
Despite what BMW might tell you, the focus of the latest 8 Series is very much on comfort rather than carving corners. There are more appropriate BMWs for that, and frankly rivals that are much more fun too. But as a car to cover distance in comfort and refinement (and provided you don’t need to house people in the tiny rear seats), the 8 Series does its job well.
There’s a potentially diverse group of rivals that might tempt you away from BMW’s offering, covering everything from proper sports cars like the Porsche 911, through sporty grand tourers like the Lexus LC, to properly luxury-focused coupes such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe.
Big luxury coupes like the BMW 8 Series have always served a similar role: The same levels of comfort, prestige, refinement and performance as luxury saloons, but a more stylish and rakish profile and a touch more glamour too. So while it may not be as technologically advanced as a BMW 7 Series, the 8 Series is the kind of car you’d take if a weekend in the Riviera was calling your name.
The 8 Series debuted in 2018 and replaced two generations of BMW 6 Series in the German carmaker’s lineup. It grew larger and more powerful, and while BMW still offered an M-badged variant in the M8 Competition, its bigger, heavier form definitely tends towards luxury over the most agile handling or engaging drive.
It’s not bad at the latter, especially for its size, but the 8 Series definitely makes more sense as a cruiser. If you wanted a proper sports car, there’s always BMW’s smaller M models for that, or rivals like the Porsche 911. The range of six-cylinder petrol and diesels and a petrol V8 all have strong performance and drive through smooth eight-speed automatic gearboxes - with all-wheel drive standard on all but the petrol six-cylinder.
The cabin is an 8 Series highlight - as long as you don’t need to carry rear passengers, as the plus-two seats are largely useless. The dashboard looks a little conservative alongside some rivals but it’s ergonomically spot-on, and very well-built. The infotainment system is among the best in the business, too.
If the 8 Series isn’t quite enough of a sports car then the Porsche 911 is the obvious choice in this market, while the BMW lacks the outright prestige of some of its luxurious rivals: the Aston Martin DB11, Bentley Continental GT, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe all feel more special. From left field, there’s also the Lexus LC - one of the most spectacular-looking cars on the roads, and with its naturally-aspirated V8, one of the best-sounding too.
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We’d pick either of the two six-cylinder models. For its performance and economy it’s difficult to ignore the 840d, which on paper is actually a little quicker than the 840i and benefits from the traction advantages of xDrive all-wheel drive. It’s smooth and swift, and pretty unique in its class, and its long range makes sense for a grand tourer. Failing that, the petrol six-cylinder of the 840i really suits the 8 Series, feeling quick enough and actually sounding a lot better than the somewhat flat note emitted by the M850i. The 8 Series is no sports car, so the extra punch of the V8 is neither here nor there for enjoyment.
BMW 8 Series 840i sDrive: The 840i engine is a three-litre turbocharged inline six cylinder petrol, making 340PS through an eight-speed automatic gearbox - while sDrive notes this model being rear-wheel drive only. 0-62mph takes five seconds exactly, with up to 33.6mpg combined economy.
BMW 8 Series 840d xDrive: In 840d form you get a 3-litre inline six turbodiesel with a 320PS output, and xDrive all-wheel drive as standard. It’s actually a touch quicker than the 840i, at 4.9 seconds from 0-62mph, and offers better economy at 40.4mpg combined.
BMW 8 Series M850i: The top 8 Series engine in the standard range is a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrol. It develops 530PS and gets from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds, with 25.2mpg claimed fuel consumption.
Perhaps reasoning that most UK buyers will immediately upgrade to the sportiest trim level they can, the 8 Series has only ever been offered in M Sport trim and above in the UK - the ‘above’ being the half-way house M850i model, and the full BMW M8 Competition, which we’re not covering here. That means even at its least adorned, the 8 Series is a well-equipped car - and removes too much choice when picking a used example.
The BMW 8 Series M Sport starts things off with 20-inch alloy wheels, an M aerodynamics package, adaptive LED headlights, a digital driver display and head-up display, Merino leather trim, electric adjustment and memory settings for the front seats, Harman Kardon audio, automatic air conditioning, adaptive suspension, M Sport brakes, and Parking Assistant with a reversing camera.
The BMW 8 Series M850i gets all the equipment from the M Sport above, but trades some of the chrome exterior detailing for a black package, gets a different 20-inch wheel design, and is of course only available with the V8 engine.
The BMW 8 Series’s dimensions are:
Length: 5181mm
Width: 2000mm (without mirrors), 2218mm (with mirrors)
Height: 1835mm
The BMW 8 Series’s boot size is:
750 litres
2120 litres with the rear seats folded
VED or ‘road tax’ is straightforward on the BMW 8 Series range, if not cheap. All models attract the government surcharge for costing over £40,000 brand new, which means that after the first-year VED rate (which is dictated by CO2 emissions), the second to the sixth years of taxation will cost £570 per year at current rates. This will then drop down to a lower rate from the seventh year onwards.
The 8 Series’ size, performance and expense mean insurance is unlikely to be cheap. Even the entry-level 840i comes in at group 45, while the 840d and M850i are in the maximum group 50. This isn’t unusual for the class however - all Porsche 911s are in either group 49 or 50.
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