Bmw 850ci Vs Csi

The BMW E31 is the first generation of the BMW 8 Series. It is a grand tourer built by BMW from 1990 to 1999 as a 2-door coupé, powered by either a V8 or V12 engine. BMW 850Ci: The In-Between Years Right as the CSi entered production, the 850i was renamed 850Ci, though the 850i and new 850Ci were produced in tandem for two years.

HUGE! 850 Ci is the 5.0 V12 with steptronic box. 850CSi is the Motorsport version. In late 1993 BMW changed the designation from 850i to 850Ci the 4988cc/300hp V12 staying the same **BUT** only for a few months as in mid-1994 it was replaced with the larger 5379cc/326hp V12! The 850Ci badge stayed the same though.So if you ever see a 850Ci chances are it's a 5.4 litre car as there are very few 5.0 850Ci's.

I got into a debate with a friend about these old 8-series BMW's, and which one to buy. For most of us on a car forum, the best one is the ideal choice if it's in budget. The 850 CSi is the ideal, of course.

V12, manual transmission, near-as-makes-no-difference an M8. They're also selling for around 60k, or at least the example you'd want. Around the same time the CSi was introduced, the standard 850i was renamed the 850Ci (with C standing for Coupe), to better align with the rest of the company's corporate naming structure.

Today, I'm reviewing a BMW 850CSi to show you all its quirks and features -- and to show you why the E31 8 Series was such a cool car, especially the flagship 850CSi model. FOLLOW ME! BMW 8 Series (E31) history 1986 Two-year development of 850i completed, but launch delayed due to strong 6 Series sales 1989 8 Series E31 introduced 1991 UK right-hand-drive sales begin 1992 850CSi added: 5.6-litre, 375bhp, manual only, improved aerodynamics (based on stillborn M8), new interior.

Compare performance of BMW 840CI and BMW 850 CSi. Updated June 2025. Maybe that should remind of the 635 CSi.

In order to avoid any misunderstandings, the 850 with the M70 engine and 300hp will be called 850i on this website, and the version with 326hp and the M73 engine 850Ci accordingly!