BMW 8 Series

BMW 8 Series E31

The BMW 8 Series (chassis code BMW E31) was a V8 or V12-engined 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW from 1989 to 1999 with a top speed of 160 MPH. A common misconception is that the 8 Series was a successor for the original BMW 6 Series in 1989; instead it was an entirely new value proposition aimed at a different market with a substantially higher price point. A new 8 Series cost around US$100,000.

Worldwide production ceased May 12, 1999 with 30,621 built.

History

Design of the 8 Series began in 1984, with construction starting in 1986. The 8 Series debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in early September 1989. The 8 Series was designed to move beyond the market of the original 6 Series. The 8 and 6 Series cars had very different character: while the 6 Series was a solid Grand Touring car, the 8 Series was aimed more towards the supercar market. It was BMW's flagship car while in production.

Over 1.5 billion deutschmarks were spent on total development (2005 USD $2.2 billion). BMW used CAD tools, still unusual at the time, to design an all-new body. Combined with wind tunnel testing, the resulting car had a drag coefficient of 0.29, a major improvement from the previous BMW M6/635CSi's 0.39.

While CAD modeling allowed the car's unibody to be 8 lb lighter than that of its predecessor, the car was significantly heavier when completed due to the large engine and added luxury items—a source of criticism from those who wanted BMW to concentrate on the driving experience.

Sales of the E31 were affected by the global recession of the early 1990's, the Persian Gulf War, and energy price spikes. BMW pulled the 8 Series out of the North American market in 1997, selling only a combined model total of 7,232 cars over seven years.

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