8 series as everyday car?
Discussion
The service interval on the 8-series is dependent on your driving style and can stretch from 5k to 10k.
The car is very comfortable and the 850CSi is VERY quick (380bhp), although heavy.
Don't expect much more that 15mpg though.
You can pick up a 5 year old M5 for £20k now and that will outperform the 8-series and XJR in any way you care to mention.
The 8-series is also not as cheap to maintain as the M5 or XJR, although the XJR does need the supercharger maintaining regularly!
I'm doing a similar mileage in my e34 M5 and it is eating the mile up, although a service every 10 weeks is expensive (£150-£200 for oil service, £500-£700 for Inspection I and £700-£1k for Inspection II).
If I HAD to choose between the XJR or the 850CSi, the 850CSi would win - however if you are considering a different 8-series (840i, 850i) then I would go for the Jag.
The car is very comfortable and the 850CSi is VERY quick (380bhp), although heavy.
Don't expect much more that 15mpg though.
You can pick up a 5 year old M5 for £20k now and that will outperform the 8-series and XJR in any way you care to mention.
The 8-series is also not as cheap to maintain as the M5 or XJR, although the XJR does need the supercharger maintaining regularly!
I'm doing a similar mileage in my e34 M5 and it is eating the mile up, although a service every 10 weeks is expensive (£150-£200 for oil service, £500-£700 for Inspection I and £700-£1k for Inspection II).
If I HAD to choose between the XJR or the 850CSi, the 850CSi would win - however if you are considering a different 8-series (840i, 850i) then I would go for the Jag.
m-five said:
I'm doing a similar mileage in my e34 M5 and it is eating the mile up, although a service every 10 weeks is expensive (£150-£200 for oil service, £500-£700 for Inspection I and £700-£1k for Inspection II).
next time you need a service ask about "4 Plus" well kept secret by us dealers as the service department make jack out of it. Any car over 4 years old gets a reduced rate. dont let 'em fleece you! i feel like a caped crusader on the inside trying to bring down dealers....
burriana500, if I were you id go for the M5. get your hands on the chepest, highest mileage one possible. It's not worth paying extra for the depriciation for a low mileage one as it'll be near worthless after putting 60K on it in 2 years. The engine is good for 200000miles easily. I wouldnt bother too much about the service intervals either (by BMW). Get it serviced privately by a good mechanic and dont bother about the lights going out and the 600 notes for inspection 2!, no other potential buyer will give a hoot about full BMWSH with 150-200k on clock. Obviously keep all the reciepts. Think this is the cheapest and most reliable way to do it. 
Jamster
Jamster
Thanks for the info Tony.
Irrespective of driving style though, any idea what the official service intervals are?
I agree that the M5 is a belter of a car, but I like the 8 series cos you don't see many around - I just want something that's comfy, a little bit different and not too slow.
Any particular reason why I should stay away from the 840s?
al
Irrespective of driving style though, any idea what the official service intervals are?
I agree that the M5 is a belter of a car, but I like the 8 series cos you don't see many around - I just want something that's comfy, a little bit different and not too slow.
Any particular reason why I should stay away from the 840s?
al
I would go for either a 850csi which has a 5.6 Litre 380 BHP engine of which the McLaren F1 uses although slightly more bored out or the 840. The 840 has 286BHP and is only 14BHP lass than the 5.0 litre 850, however it will give far better fuel economy, and because it is lighter the performance is no different. 840 0-60 7 seconds top speed 155, 22-27MPG, 850 0-60 7.2 seconds top speed 155, 16-22mpg, 850csi 0-60 6-0 seconds top speed 155, 14-22mpg. They are good cars, but will eat tyres, suspension and brakes due to weight of 1800kg. 840 will be the cheapest to service and the latest versions were available as a csi spec giving better suspension and a 6 speed manual as well as the usual automatic. 850csi is a maunaul only and is basically the M8 and can be tuned up to silly BHP 600-100BHP.
ScoobyZoom said:
I'm doing a similar mileage in my e34 M5 and it is eating the mile up, although a service every 10 weeks is expensive (£150-£200 for oil service, £500-£700 for Inspection I and £700-£1k for Inspection II).
i feel like a caped crusader on the inside trying to bring down dealers....
Those prices are with both the "4 Plus" and "BMW CC" discounts.
I have been to 4 dealers so far for my last 12 services/inspections and have 'issues' with each of them on at least one occassion - hence the trying of 4 different dealers. I find the dealers near London where I work have an hourly rate a little (10%) more than those in Liverpool, but the Inspection prices are about 40% more - strange.
Also I ask each garage for the main points of the Inspections and they usually give me differing answers - one dealer claims it is so expensive as they have to do the valve clearances at every Inspection and another dealer claims the valve clearances are only done every 2nd Inspection II - who should I believe if the dealers can't even agree.
At least the 'Indpendent BMW Specialist' I go to asks me what I want done at each Inspection and I can show him the service schedule in the manual. Average cost is below £50 for oil service (using my own oil), £200 for Inspection I, and £300 for Inspection II - and they give me a full report when I pay, along with the replaced parts which BMW seem to destroy/throw away as soon as they are removed from the vehicle.
I've even been charged for brake pads that were not replaced, and then when I complained and was told to bring the car in to rectify the problem I was left waiting in reception for an hour for them to find out they didn't have the pads in stock either.
Then, finally when they did fit the pads they positioned the pad wrongly and placed the locating pin behing the locating hole rather than through it causing the brake pad to score a groove in my wheel hub.
By the way the service manager blamed it on an incompetent apprentice - WTF, I was paying £100 an hour for a spotty teenager to work on a £40,000 car unsupervised????
I fixed it myself and am never going back to a main dealer.
burriana500 said:
Thanks for the info Tony.
Irrespective of driving style though, any idea what the official service intervals are?
I agree that the M5 is a belter of a car, but I like the 8 series cos you don't see many around - I just want something that's comfy, a little bit different and not too slow.
Any particular reason why I should stay away from the 840s?
al
That's the problem with the BMW system - there is no set interval as it is all based on when the lights tell you to get a service.
The 840's are slow (relatively) and heavy compared to the 850CSi, and the standard 850 is just very thirsty with little benefit over the 840.
If you want an auto then the 850CSi is not an option. You may see some "840CSi" for sale, but they tend to be "840i Sports". 850CSi are much rarer as well.
How about you buy my e34 M5 for £10k and I will buy an 850CSi
How ever much I admire the 850 CSI, I would go for the XJR. Especially the V8 is a wonder of reliability, performance and style, while the I6 S/C is somewhat more fragile, but still a good car.
I even pondered trading my M Coupe for an XJR, but came to my senses before going ahead with it.
I even pondered trading my M Coupe for an XJR, but came to my senses before going ahead with it.
I always fancied an 8xx, until someone described it as looking like a rich man's ford probe
. And everytime i look at one, i have to agree!
Interesting that the 850csi does 0-60 in 6 secs and weighs 1800 kilos, my 540 weighs 1800 kilos and does it in around 6.2 or 6.4 secs i belive.
e.
. And everytime i look at one, i have to agree! Interesting that the 850csi does 0-60 in 6 secs and weighs 1800 kilos, my 540 weighs 1800 kilos and does it in around 6.2 or 6.4 secs i belive.
e.
The auto E34 540i (4l) is quoted as 0-60 in 6.8s, compared with 5.9s for the 3.8l M5 of the same generation, and 6s dead for the 5.6l 850CSi. All figured from Performance Car, May 1993. Don't forget that the gearing and final drive may well be different on the 8 series cars which would account for smaller than expected differences.
Just read that the original list price for the 540i was £34k in 1993, but options were horrifying: air con was £2570, leather £1265, leccy seats another £970, metallic paint £500, and so on. Ouch!
Just read that the original list price for the 540i was £34k in 1993, but options were horrifying: air con was £2570, leather £1265, leccy seats another £970, metallic paint £500, and so on. Ouch!
sohlman said:
I would go for either a 850csi which has a 5.6 Litre 380 BHP engine of which the McLaren F1 uses although slightly more bored out or the 840. 850csi is a maunaul only and is basically the M8 and can be tuned up to silly BHP 600-100BHP.
So who tunes these engines to these power outputs and were can I find out more info on them?
And if you have the right sort of BMW 4 litre V8, ESS (www.esstuning.com) in Norway will sell you a supercharger for three grand (give or take, depending on the euro exchange rate). You'll have to find someone handy with the spanners to fit it, or... hmmm... driving holiday to Norway... hmmm....
I think they quote around 410bhp for the four litre...
Edit: But not for the 8 series it seems. I wonder if there are under-bonnet space issues that put the kybosh on that?
>> Edited by Marshy on Monday 27th October 22:05
I think they quote around 410bhp for the four litre...
Edit: But not for the 8 series it seems. I wonder if there are under-bonnet space issues that put the kybosh on that?
>> Edited by Marshy on Monday 27th October 22:05
andycanam said:
I would go for either a 850csi which has a 5.6 Litre 380 BHP engine of which the McLaren F1 uses although slightly more bored out or the 840. 850csi is a maunaul only and is basically the M8 and can be tuned up to silly BHP 600-100BHP.
So who tunes these engines to these power outputs and were can I find out more info on them?
Are you thinking of putting one in your Ultima?
XM5ER said:
Are you thinking of putting one in your Ultima?
Damn.... I've been rumbled.
Your right I intend to get one of these engines put it in a mid engined car and bolt a set of Twin Turbo's on.
I've discovered the 5.0L version has a perfect 8.8:1cr but the 5.6L has nearly 10:1......
but I am trying to find out more info and where I can get aftermarker cranks rods, pistons etc..... I hear they are good for 8500rpm when properly sorted!
Yes I had seen that web site.... very much where my insiration to do this has come from. Thanks anyway.
As an update I have now established that the stock internals should be more than up to the job and the rings can take up to 15psi.
Good news, as 10psi in a 750 gives just under 500bhp and 540ftlb's torque.... and you must remember that would have to be an auto so maybe restricted to the original 6000rpm....
This could turn out to be one hell of an engine package.
As an update I have now established that the stock internals should be more than up to the job and the rings can take up to 15psi.
Good news, as 10psi in a 750 gives just under 500bhp and 540ftlb's torque.... and you must remember that would have to be an auto so maybe restricted to the original 6000rpm....
This could turn out to be one hell of an engine package.
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