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Jul 22, 2023

BMW 8 Series First Drive

BMW's convertible, two-door coupe, and four-door sedan lineup comes with six-figure prices The BMW 8 Series, the resurrected name for its flagship car, was designed to compete against other high-end

BMW's convertible, two-door coupe, and four-door sedan lineup comes with six-figure prices

The BMW 8 Series, the resurrected name for its flagship car, was designed to compete against other high-end coupes and convertibles, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Lexus LC, and Maserati Gran Turismo.

To see if—or how high—BMW has raised the bar, we rented an 840i sedan (Gran Coupe) and an M850i xDrive convertible from the company. And our team of expert testers gave these two cars hundreds of miles worth of test-drives, including along winding roads in the Connecticut countryside.

If you're a CR member, this full article and our test drive impressions are already available to you. If not, click below and join to read what we think of everything from engine and road noise to warranty value to how well the car handles in various driving situations, among other pros and cons. We did not buy these models, and we won't be putting them through our extensive testing on our track, like we do with the new vehicles we purchase.

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What we rented:2020 840i Gran Coupe2019 BMW M850i xDrive ConvertiblePowertrain: 840i: 335-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engineM850i: 523-hp, turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine; 8-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel driveMSRP: 840i: $87,800M850i: $121,400Options: 840i: $ 11,880 (Driving Assistance and Drivers Assistance Pro Packages, M Sport Package, Comfort Seating Package, 20-inch wheels, glass controls, piano black trim)M850i: $4,000 (Driving Assistance Pro package, glass controls, neck warmer, extended Shadowline trim)Destination fee: $995Total cost: 840i: $100,675M850i: $126,395

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