In production between 1990 to 1999, the BMW E31 8 Series was a super luxurious grand tourer coupe, it was bought in to surpass the outgoing E24 6 series, but it was not a direct successor. Offered with either a V8 or V12 the 8 series was a capable barnstorming GT car, producing just under 300hp in the 840ci variant. Some production figures suggest that only 4,700 840ci’s were produced with the 4.0L M60 V8 making it an extremely rare beast to find these days.

Sadly, world events and huge price tags were against the 8 series from the start, with outside factors such as the 1990’s recession, Gulf War, and energy price spikes, leading to low sales figure the 8 Series it is now rare to see these on the roads.

Originally ordered as a demonstrator for a BMW dealer this 8 Series would go to its first real owner on the first of August 1994 where it would stay for a considerable amount of its life. As the first owner got older, they found it harder to keep this beast under control leading to a few bumps and bruises on the extremities of the car. When the time came to sell this 8 series it went on its way to start its next journey.

With the second owner not, much was done with this car, they bought the car and pretty much left it on the driveway for a couple of years. After it sat for a while with no use, they decided to sell it to the current owner.

Very much like the first owner the current owner has loved this car from the start, a fan of BMW’s they are in tune with the quirks of owning a car like this. Within their ownership, there has been a lot of work done to make sure this car is in excellent condition.

Some of these big jobs include a full body, bare metal respray that incorporated some rust repairs in the nearside wheel arch. Another big and important job that was completed was the overhaul of the Bilstein suspension system, its thanks to these jobs that the car now rides perfectly with no knocks or bangs from the suspension on the road.

There is a lot of paperwork that comes with this 840Ci, presented in a neat folder the new owner can have a fun afternoon looking through and understanding the amount of care and money that has gone into keeping this brute on the road. 

If we start with the original BMW leather-bound owner’s literature holder. You will find the original operating manual to the wonderful BMW radio, which includes both a CD-Multichanger and an amplifier mounted neatly in the boot. There is also the BMW owner’s manual and the service book.  The service book has quite a few stamps in it from the first pre-delivery inspection in 1994 to the most recent stamp dated 2019.

Within the dossier of documents, there are lots of bills that detail the work that has been completed over the past 25 plus years. Along with bills, there are also quite a few old tax discs that date from 2003 up until 2013 another little sign that this car has been loved throughout its life.

The number plate does not come with the car, it will be replaced by the original number plate.

The interior condition of this car is brilliant, with so many high-end features in the cabin it is almost like stepping into a modern BMW 8 Series. With the electronic steering rack rising and lowering as you get into the car you can tell that this is something special.

The beautifully crafted, electrically operated, leather seats hold you comfortably with a combination of figure-hugging bolsters and comfortable seat bases. The leather on all four of the seats is in great condition, with no staining, rips, or sagging to the material. Along with the leather seats, the door cards and center console are also partially covered in this same leather. With the plastics subtly matching the leather too.

The current owner has made sure that the interior of this 8 series matches the exterior. They have replaced the original radio with a new old stock part as the original was suffering from some pixel problems, a common fault on so many BMWs, they have replaced the headlining too.

With this car being the equivalent of over £100,000 in today’s money the interior is peppered with ‘90s tech from a trip computer to dual-zone climate control. The trip computer in the center console works perfectly, providing you with information like MPG and predicted range. There is also a big sunroof that operates smoothly showing no obvious signs of leaking as so many other cars of this age suffer from.

The new owner will be getting a brilliant example of a luxury ‘90s GT car. The level of comfort inside this car is a match to modern-day offerings from the Bavarian car manufacturer. It will be a great place to sit and enjoy many journeys in comfort.

A wonderful example of wedge-shaped ‘90s design the exterior is instantly recognisable and unlike modern BMW the iconic kidney grills are small and discreet. The standout feature that makes this car different is the pop-up headlights which work perfectly, and everyone knows that pop-up lights make any car instantly cool! 

Sitting on wonderfully intricate and BMW original deep-dish alloy wheels and four matching Falken tires the exterior design just screams the ‘90s, these wheels are in great condition. It was mentioned that the first owner had the original wheels replaced, at great cost, with new parts from BMW after the original set had experienced some damage.

Every single panel of this 840Ci is straight and dent-free. The current owner took the car in to get resprayed a few years ago. There is a two-page document that explains the entire process from start to finish. After 151 hours of labour, the paint and bodywork were like new and has stayed this way ever since thanks to being stored in a garage.

If the new owner has to store the car outside, they should know that the car also comes with a heavy-duty cover to help keep it in the current condition.

Overall, the exterior condition of this car is brilliant, the new owner will be getting a car that is as good as new. With exterior features such as the wheels and the wonderful pop-up headlights, this will be an excellent car to add to the collection.

With a combination of a 4.0l V8 producing just under 300hp and a 5-speed automatic gearbox, this car is a perfectly capable motorway mile muncher. This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, at first glance it may look like a normal BMW GT car but pull up to the traffic lights and it’ll put many eager wannabes in their place.

The current owner has kept up with regular servicing intervals and preventative maintenance. Within the bundle of paperwork, many invoices show all the work that has been completed throughout all its years. A couple of these jobs include a new started motor in 2017 and a big suspension overhaul in 2018.

This 8 series is presented in fine mechanical fettle, the new owner will be getting a great example of proper German engineering. When out on a drive it performs faultlessly, smooth gear changes, lots of power and a smooth ride help create the perfect grand tourer experience and it will be a perfect companion should you ever need to cross continents.

A timeless modern classic, the original 8 series is a brilliant combination of German engineering performance and an elegant but boxy design. With the all-important pop-up headlights and deep-dish alloy wheels, it is as beautiful to look at as it is to drive. 

With the world finally opening up and travel on the cards again. This 840Ci is the perfect car to chuck your bags in and head to the south of France for the weekend. It is one of those rare cars that is at home in town as it is doing north of 150mph on an autobahn, a perfect companion to create memories with this is your chance to write the next chapter of your life with.