BMW E31

BMW
BMW 840 Ci (1995-1999)
E31
Sales designation:	BMW 8 Series
Production period:	05 / 1989-05 / 1999
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 4.0-5.6 liters (210-280 kW)
Length:	4780 mm
Width:	1855 mm
Height:	1340 mm
Wheelbase :	2684 mm
Empty weight :	1790-1955 kg
Previous model	BMW E24
successor	BMW E63

The BMW 8 (factory intern E31 ) is an upper class - coupe of the 8-series of BMW . The 8 Series was developed under the direction of BMW chief designer Claus Luthe and was officially presented at the IAA in Frankfurt in the summer of 1989 and was produced until mid-1999.

Model history

General

Rear view of BMW 8 series US version (1990–1998)

The body shape comes from Klaus Kapitza, who subsequently became head of design at BMW Technik GmbH. The front section was based on that of the M1 . The 8 Series inherited the BMW 6 Series ( E24 series ), but was larger and more expensive than its predecessor. The main competitors of the E31 were the Coupé models C 126 and C 140 of the S-Class from Mercedes-Benz . The 8 Series was only available as a coupé. Prototypes of a cabriolet version were developed, but they lacked stability, see also the convertible section below (under prototypes).

The technology and engines came partly from the then current 7 Series, the E32 . Later, newer engines from the 5 Series and E38 were gradually introduced.

The E31 was the most expensive model in the BMW range until it was discontinued in May 1999. The sale of the E31 ultimately fell short of expectations, although around 5,000 sales contracts are said to have been signed before the start of series production and the buyers had to wait a full three years when production started: In ten years around 30,600 units of the 8 series were built (see the number of units in the table Technical specifications). Sales were affected by the global recession of the early 1990s, the second Gulf War, and energy price increases. In the USA in particular , BMW had expected higher sales figures, but there buyers expected more performance from such a heavy and expensive vehicle. BMW stopped selling the car in North America in 1997.

There was initially no successor to the 8 Series. It was not until the summer of 2003 that BMW added a larger, upper middle-class coupe, the BMW 6 Series E63 . However, this is based on the 5 series and was offered more cheaply than the competing CL Coupes from Mercedes-Benz .

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  BMW 8 Series US version, front view (1990–1998)

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  BMW 8 Series detail: pop-up headlights

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  BMW 8 Series interior

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  BMW 8 Series interior, center console

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  BMW Art Car by David Hockney (1995)

Engines

Initially, the vehicle was only available as an 850i with the twelve-cylinder engine with 220 kW (300 hp) already known from the BMW 750i . The engines were developed for operation with regular gasoline in order to guarantee operation in the USA (due to the octane fluctuations of US fuel). Optional done here, the power transmission with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic .

In the late summer of 1992 the series was expanded to include the 850CSi with a 280 kW (380 hp) twelve-cylinder engine. This was only offered with a 6-speed manual transmission and a steering rear axle , which cost the equivalent of around € 6,000 extra in the smaller twelve-cylinder units. In the same year, BMW also built 18 copies of an 830i for testing purposes. The engine used for this was the V8 M60B30 with 160 kW (218 PS) and 296 Nm also used in the E32 , E34 and E38 . None of these vehicles went on sale because the mileage did not match the vehicle class.

It was followed in the summer of 1993 by the 840i equipped with a 210 kW (286 hp) V8 . This base model was BMW's first V8 coupe since the BMW 3200 CS in the 1960s. Here, too, there was a choice between automatic and manual transmission.

In the spring of 1994 the 850Ci received a modernized twelve-cylinder with 240 kW (326 hp), which now received a five-speed automatic transmission as standard. It gradually replaced the old five-liter V12. However, both models were produced in parallel for half a year, both under the same code 850Ci. From the end of 1996 only 840Ci and 850Ci were in the program, the 850CSi was discontinued.

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  840 Ci

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  V-12 engine ( BMW M70 )

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  BMW 850i Bi Turbo

Prototypes (1990)

BMW M8

Only a prototype of the M8 sports model was built by M GmbH in 1990 . Other sources also speak of three vehicles, one of which was lost during test drives. The M8 was one of BMW's greatest secrets. The prototype is said to have been stored in the so-called poison cabinet , a BMW warehouse in Dingolfing - allegedly under stacks of boxes . The prototype was only shown to the public for the first time in 2010.

The engine of the M8 would have been a 6-liter V12 engine with up to 441 kW (600 hp) based on the S70 , which ultimately found its place in the McLaren F1 super sports car in a modified form . The engine of the 850CSi (which, by the way, is specified as M8 in the vehicle registration document) is based on the S70 engine, but with a displacement of 5.6 liters and only 280 kW (380 hp). The M8 prototype had no pop-up headlights : the low beam and high beam were integrated in the bumper instead of the narrow parking lights. The prototype was powered by the V12, which, thanks to a single throttle system, achieved an output of around 400 kW.

Convertible

Convertible rear view in the BMW Museum

It quickly became apparent that the E31's biggest drawback was that it did not offer a convertible version. The main rival Mercedes-Benz SL was therefore preferred to the 8 Series BMW by many customers. To retrospectively design a convertible from a stylish and large coupé like the 8 Series means a lot of stiffening work on the body, the complete development of a convertible top construction, the retuning of the chassis and powerful engines in order to be able to offer adequate driving performance. Customers were not prepared to come to terms with these compromises, and so it was another decade before a large convertible from BMW came onto the market again.

Three prototypes of the E31 were produced. The vehicle is technically based on the 850i E31 with six-speed manual gearbox introduced in 1989, was manufactured in 1990 and extensively tested by BMW and bears some details of the previously built 5-series convertible of the E34 , which also did not go into series production. The designation was adapted to the newer 8 series models from 1993 with the additional abbreviation Ci in 850Ci. “Too sluggish, not stiff, too expensive” were the reasons for the waiver for the convertible variant. Such an elaborate niche model in the luxury sector did not promise sufficient quantities and yields.

Technical specifications

model	Engine code	Displacement	cylinder	power	Torque	0-100 km / h	V max	construction time	Quantities
830i	M60B30	2997 cc	8th	160 kW (218 hp) at 5800 rpm	296 Nm at 4500 rpm	8.3 s	232 km / h	04 / 1992-12 / 1992	18th
840i	M60B40	3982 cm³	8th	210 kW (286 hp) at 5800 rpm	400 Nm at 4500 rpm	7.0 s	250 km / h	07 / 1993-02 / 1996	4,728
840Ci	M62B44	4398 cc	8th	210 kW (286 hp) at 5700 rpm	420 Nm at 3900 rpm	6.9 s	250 km / h	01/1995–05/1999	3,075
850i	M70B50	4988 cc	12	220 kW (300 PS) at 5200 rpm	450 Nm at 4100 rpm	6.8 s	250 km / h	05 / 1989-12 / 1992	20,072
850Ci	M70B50	4988 cc	12	220 kW (300 PS) at 5200 rpm	450 Nm at 4100 rpm	6.8 s	250 km / h	01 / 1993-10 / 1994
850Ci	M73B54	5379 cc	12	240 kW (326 hp) at 5000 rpm	490 Nm at 3900 rpm	6.3 s	250 km / h	02 / 1994-05 / 1999	1,218
850CSi	S70B56	5576 cc	12	280 kW (380 PS) at 5300 rpm	550 Nm at 4000 rpm	6.0 s	250 km / h	08/1992-11/1996	1,510

1. ↑ Only built as a prototype.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} electronically limited at 250 km / h
3. ↑ automatic version

Existence in Germany

The stock of BMW E31s is listed according to the manufacturer (HSN) and type code number (TSN) in Germany according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority on the respective reference date, January 1st. Types with less than 100 vehicles are not shown. Until 2007, the inventory included the number of vehicles registered as well as the number of temporary shutdowns. Since 2008, the inventory has only included "flowing traffic" including the seasonal license plates.

HSN / TSN	model	kW	2005	2006	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
0005/494	850i, 850Ci	220	3,715	3,439	2,328	2,185	2.137	2,078	2,000	1.929	1,896	1,907
0005/532	840Ci 1	210	722	698	530	509	521	498	478	470	477	482
0005/553	850Ci	240	339	319	248	237	228	230	220	217	215	219
0005/588	840Ci 2	210	197	197	159	163	168	168	175	182	195	198
0575/309	850CSi	280	228	215	153	145	136	139	139	134	133	142
7909/301	850CSi	280	180	168	115	113	105	103		101	102	104
source

¹ 4.0 liter displacement.

² 4.4 liter displacement.

Alpina versions

The company Alpina from Buchloe developed the Alpina B12 based on the 8er . The B12 was built from 1990 to 1994 based on the 850i with a more powerful V12 engine and automatic transmission. The engine output was increased to 257 kW (350 hp), the maximum torque is 470 Nm. The compression was increased from 8.8 to 9.5; the engine displacement remained unchanged. The manually operated B12 5.7, based on the 850CSi, was also available from 1992. The V12 engine was enlarged by 70 cm ³ and the output increased by 26 kW to 306 kW (416 hp). The maximum torque of the engine is 570 Nm. Both vehicles are not limited to the 250 km / h usual at BMW, the top speed is 280 and 300 km / h respectively. 97 of the B12 5.0 and 57 of the B12 5.7 were produced.

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  Alpina B12 5.0

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  Alpina B12 5.0, rear view

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  Alpina B12 5.7

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  Alpina B12 5.7, rear view

BMW 8 Series (G15)

The name BMW 8 Series was not continued immediately. In 2017, the prototype of a successor model as the BMW Concept 8 Series Coupé was presented. BMW announced a new 8 Series in May 2017, the BMW G15 . This was introduced at the end of 2018 as a coupe and convertible and in 2019 as a grand coupe.

literature

• Oldtimer Markt 4/2009 purchase advice p.38 ff.
• Niels Hamann: BMW 8 Series - Power & Hightech. The V12 and V8 coupés of the 90s, development E31, prototypes, series models, special editions . Schneider Media UK Ltd., 2012, ISBN 978-3-7688-5799-4 (Limited luxury edition with slipcase: ISBN 978-3-7688-5798-7 ).

Web links

Commons : BMW E31  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• The BMW 8 Series (private information site)
• Comprehensive report on the E31 including a chronicle at welt.de from July 16, 2014, accessed April 26, 2018.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Report on the 8 series at auto-motor-und-sport.de/ MotorKlassik , from February 2, 2015, accessed April 23, 2018.
2. ↑ Fulvio Cinti in Auto & design , issue 63 August / September 1990, Torino.
3. ↑ Unrivaled and Unveiled: The M8 Prototype. In: BMW BLOG. September 13, 2010, accessed December 18, 2016 . 
4. ↑ GTBOARD.com: BMW M8 Prototype BMW M Garching: important step towards McLaren F1 engine. April 1, 2011, accessed December 18, 2016 . 
5. ↑ BMWBLOG Exclusive: Unrivaled and Unveiled - BMW M8 Prototype. In: bmwblog.com , September 13, 2010 (English).
6. ↑ The number of passenger cars on January 1, 2005 by manufacturer and type with selected features. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamtes, special issue 4 for series 2, January 1, 2005. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, May 2005, pp. 13–15 , archived from the original on March 18, 2006 ; Retrieved September 26, 2015 . 
7. ↑ The number of passenger cars on January 1, 2006 by manufacturer, trade name, selected features and displacement classes. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, special issue 4 for series 2, January 1, 2006. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, June 2006, p. 92 , archived from the original on October 9, 2006 ; Retrieved September 26, 2015 . 
8. ↑ The number of passenger cars on January 1, 2008 by manufacturer, trade name, selected features and displacement classes. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt FZ 2, January 1, 2008. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, June 2008, pp. 98, 99 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
9. ↑ The number of passenger cars on January 1, 2009 by manufacturer, trade name, selected features and cubic capacity. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt FZ 2, January 1, 2009. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, July 2009, p. 104 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
10. ↑ The number of passenger cars on January 1, 2010 by manufacturer, trade name, selected features and cubic capacity. (PDF) In: Statistical Communications of the Federal Motor Transport Authority FZ 2, January 1, 2010. Federal Motor Transport Authority, July 2010, p. 104 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
11. ↑ The number of passenger cars on January 1, 2011 by manufacturer, trade name, selected features and cubic capacity. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt FZ 2, January 1, 2011. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, July 2011, p. 110 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
12. ↑ The number of passenger cars on January 1, 2012 by manufacturer, trade name, selected features and cubic capacity. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt FZ 2, January 1, 2012. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, July 2012, p. 114 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
13. ↑ Passenger car inventory on January 1, 2013 by manufacturer, trade name and selected features. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt FZ 2, January 1, 2013. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, July 2013, p. 26 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
14. ↑ Passenger car inventory on January 1, 2014 by manufacturer, trade name and selected features. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt FZ 2, January 1, 2014. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, July 2014, p. 29 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
15. ↑ Passenger car inventory on January 1, 2015 by manufacturer, trade name and selected features. (PDF) In: Statistische Mitteilungen des Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt FZ 2, January 1, 2015. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, July 2015, p. 29 , accessed on September 26, 2015 . 
16. ↑ auto-motor-und-sport.de: near-series concept car debuts at Villa d'Este (Link leads to more recent 8th article in 2018.)