BMW’s E31-generation 8 Series is the quintessential grand tourer. While it wears its sporting prowess on its sleeve, it’s also very much the sort of car that would effortlessly waft you from one end of the continent to another in one torque-rich leap, allowing you to ooze from the cockpit in stylish unruffled form and casually amble to the bar to slip into a dry martini.
 
 Developed at enormous cost to carve out a new luxury GT niche in the model range, the E31 was CAD-designed and extensively wind tunnel tested to ensure that it was as slippery as a buttered eel – after all, with such massive engines planned, and the idea being to create a desirable machine for long-range road-tripping, maximising the aerodynamics of the fundamental shape was key so as not to use up all the Earth’s natural resources in one fell swoop.

At launch, buyers were offered a 5.0-litre M70 V12 in the form of the 850i; the one we have here is the ultimate evolution of the formula, the 850 CSi. The V12 engine was so highly developed that it earned its own code (S70), engorged to 5.6-litres and producing 375bhp.

This particular example is very special; indeed, there’s a document in the paperwork file from marque specialist Classic Heroes describing how ‘[this] car is very well known to us’ and ‘[one] would need to budget in the region of £50,000 to purchase a replacement for what is truly an exceptional example’.

The quality of this E31 is evident throughout; inside, outside and underneath it continually impresses, and it remains in all-original specification (save for two desirable modifications – the bespoke stainless steel exhaust system, and the HID-converted headlights).

Sumptuously specced, sublimely preserved, and regularly used to keep it agile and limber, the current owner has spent a considerable sum with the experts at Munich Legends to keep this 850 CSi in match-fit and tip-top condition.

Whether you’re after an E31 to be a show car, a daily driver, a continental road-tripper or part of a high-end collection, this delightful example could happily fulfil each of those criteria.

 

The E31’s shape may have largely been defined by aerodynamic efficiency, but the overarching takeout here is that it’s a wonderfully pretty car; the design has aged so well that, while it’s quite clearly a retro objet d’art, the casual observer might never guess that its profile dates all the way back to 1990.

And the CSi’s design was a cut above other E31s; this model is instantly recognisable by its staggered ‘throwing star’ wheels as well as the quad round exhaust tails (instead of the square ones other E31s had). The front and rear bumpers were reshaped for even better aero, with the mirrors also redesigned.

This Sterling Silver example presents very well, with no evident scuffs, dents, surface corrosion or parking dings. The window glass is all good, with all the panes lowering correctly for that fabulous pillarless effect, and the light lenses are all in good order. The pop-up headlights raise and lower correctly, and have been converted to HIDs to make them far brighter and safer than the notoriously dim standard bulbs.

Inside the CSi, things are equally special. BMW treated this variant to a natty black leather interior with chunkily-bolstered sport seats, which are supremely comfortable and electrically adjustable in various directions. The leather shows very little wear, with just a gentle patination of ages.

The rear seats are extremely tidy, and in the centre armrest is the original first aid kit which is still fully stocked. The carpets are clean, and the headlining has been replaced. The electric sunroof operates correctly in both its tilt and slide functions. The only aesthetic blemish of note is a little surface corrosion to the speaker grille in the passenger door, which would be very simple to remedy.

Inside the boot it’s all tidy; there has recently been some remedial work to address water ingress, so it’s had a new boot seal and a repaint and tidy up in the boot floor. The spare wheel is present, as is the factory CD-changer, and collectors will be pleased to note that the standard-issue toolkit in the bootlid is fully stocked.

 

The S70 engine is truly special; essentially derived from the mooted M8 project, there’s proper M-Division DNA within. The 5,576cc V12 puts out a mighty 375bhp at 5,300rpm, along with a stump-pulling 406lb.ft of twist. Further mechanical upgrades included an oil cooler and a diff cooler, every inch of this car being honed and refined for high performance. 

Contemporary road tests put the CSi’s 0-62mph time at under six seconds, and the way this car pulls, you can well believe it. The motor fires willingly on the first turn of the key, idles evenly, and pulls with impressive ferocity through the rev range; in a truly of-its-era move, the only gearbox offered was a manual, and it’s a robust and hardy 6-speed Getrag unit with a pleasingly slick shift action. 

 The model-specific upgrades to the CSi included uprated dampers and shorter, stiffer springs, and the steering ratio was also lowered by 15%. This means that as well as being sumptuously comfortable (and it does waft very smoothly, as a true GT should), it’s also an impressively agile thing. 

This limberness was aided by the standard-fit four-wheel steering, while the brakes were upgraded over other E31s, the CSi receiving floating front vented discs, which are every bit as devastating in their performance as they should be.

 All is in standard specification here, aside from the addition of a custom stainless steel exhaust system; this is a high-quality setup which has been crafted to mimic the look of the standard tails, and engineered to be subtle and sedate when pootling around town, and rather more raucous with a heavy right foot, but without any annoying drone on a motorway cruise.

 
This is one of the most stylish chapters in BMW’s history, and it’s truly impressive how much E31 8 Series you get for your money these days. Look at this 850 CSi: it’s got all the engine you could ever dream of in the form of that jewel-like and M-flavoured V12, simultaneously smooth and raucous, cosseting and colossal, playing Jekyll-and-Hyde according to the angle of your ankle.

The interior is a wonderful place to be too, swathed in leather-lined splendour and ready to caress you across continents. And then, of course, there’s the class and style of the design: pillarless coupe, pop-up headlights, slinky hips, it’s a symphony of splendid ideas.
 
 There are few certainties in this world, but we’d be willing to bet good money that you wouldn’t regret having a CSi in your life.


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