850i

STORY

The original BMW 8 Series (E31), launched in 1989, was BMW's high-tech grand tourer for the 1990s, a sleek, pillarless two-door with pop-up headlights that replaced the 6 Series at the top of the range. The flagship 850i introduced a 5.0-litre V12, and the car was packed with then-cutting-edge electronics, from multiplex wiring to a rare V12 six-speed manual option.

It was expensive and arrived just as recession bit, so it never sold in big numbers, and a planned high-performance M8 was shelved as a secret prototype for decades. But its dramatic wedge shape and V12 grandeur made it a cult classic. BMW revived the name in 2018 with an all-new 8 Series and, this time, finally delivered a production M8 with a twin-turbo V8.