Current BMW models are often overshadowed by a strange controversy around the enormity of the grille. So, it seems peculiar to reflect on a time when BMW’s most insignificant feature was its nostrils. Instead, the wedge-shaped 8 Series is all about pop-up headlights and a smooth pillarless silhouette, a true immortalisation of ’80s design.
Intended to take on efforts from established luxury marques like Porsche and Mercedes, BMW’s answer to the sports coupe conundrum was the two-door, 2+2, 8 Series. To compete in this market, it had to push the boundaries and present a new model that was technologically ahead of its time.
And it did just that. Launched in 1989 and internally known as the E31, the 8 Series marked several firsts for the road-going automotive sector. It was the first production car to have an advanced on-board computer and multiplex electrical system, as well being the first road car to feature a V12 engine paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. BMW also used CAD (Computer Aided Design), still unusual at the time, to design the car’s all-new body.
Such ambitious developments for the time were spurred on by an existing model range that was proving successful, and a strong presence in motorsport. Indeed, the E31’s initial launch was said to be delayed by three years due to healthy 6 Series sales. Whilst it’s commonly thought the E31 was a replacement for the E24 6 Series, it wasn’t a direct successor but a new standalone flagship, being a great deal heavier and almost twice the price.
Such an approach seemed well-aligned to a booming late ’80s economy, which was initially receptive to an expensive new model that packed with technology. However, things quickly changed. When the car went on sale as the 850i in 1990, the world’s economy had gone into recession and the E31 now seemed out of step. It could’ve all been over having barely begun, but the 8 Series would stay in production for almost a decade, and it’s well worth delving into its story.
