BMW 8-Series (1990 - 2000) 840 Ci 2d Auto (96) (1996/N) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It probably is quite telling that I'm a bit of a petrol head. Nobody who isn't interested in cars buys something like an 8 series.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

It gathers huge amounts of attention. Parked on a street it will gain admiring looks and questions that the Porsche 911 owner can only dream of. The younger members of my family think I'm Batman. The older members of my family think I'm a budding Hugh Hefner. My peers wince at the fact that I bought a totally reliable supercar for the price of their nearly new fiestas.

Would you buy this car again and why?

In a heartbeat. It has been so much more reliable than anything I have ever owned. It puts a huge smile on my face and gets my pulse racing every morning.

What are you likely to buy next?

Thinking of a Citroen SM or a Maserati 3200 GT. (Aside from whatever boring claptrap I may buy to beat around in that is.) I won't sell the BMW though. It's too good an investment.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£4,000

When did you buy the car?

September 2012

Did you get a good deal and why?

Considering the new price of the car, what they cost in other markets and the rarity I defy anyone to say it isn't a good deal. It would be a good deal at three times the price. This car will never depreciate any further.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I had always admired the 8 Series, it's uniqueness, presence and rarity.

What was the dealer like?

The dealer was very pleasant. It was a family run garage which has been open for over 60 years. I return to them for all my motoring maintenance.

What's it like to drive?

The appearance of the 8 series suggests it's an out and out sports car. It isn't. It's closely related to the 7 series and drives like one. The ride is excellent for a super-coupe, the engine is smooth. The huge seats are extremely comfortable. All the opulent luxury and technology adds to the weight so don't expect it to change direction with the same eagerness of a Mazda MX5 or stop with the obedience of a Porsche Boxter. It really goes when you need it to and will comfortably headbutt the 155 MPH limiter, or so I'm told . . . . Steering is quick, and feel is good. It's weighting is classic for BMW. Brake feel is like stepping on a Victoria Sponge. Despite the poor feel there is some serious Brembo brake hardware up front which helps with the heft of the 8 series.

What's it like to park?

Visibility is exceptionally good. The electric mirror on the passenger side tilts down to the kerb when reverse is engaged to help with parallel parking. It's really not difficult to park at all as long as you have a space long enough. I parallel park it every day in busy city traffic. The big V8 has enough torque to idle idle into the space without the need for any throttle, even on a gradient.

Have you had any problems with the car?

The 8 series is the kind of car that is likely to have seen a fair bit of hard driving in it's time. I drive mine hard every day. Surprisingly little has went wrong though. The 16 year old radiator gave up after two hours of very hard work recently but it was less than £100 to replace. Other than maintenance appropriate to it's mileage (bushings, ball joints, and ATF changes) the radiator is the only failure in 5000 miles of tortuous driving. The car is now on 140,000 miles.

What's most practical about your car?

The boot is surprisingly capacious for the type of car.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Steptronic Automatic gearbox. It shifts smoothly and learns the users driving style. Just seems to work better than most of the automatics I have driven. It's just about right for the power and torque of the engine. Ratios are spaced ideally.