BMW 8 Series E31 (1990–1999) Price Guide

The E31 8 Series, produced from 1990 to 1999, was BMW’s technological flagship and its most ambitious car. A low, wide coupe with drive-by-wire throttle, active rear-wheel steering, and either a V8 or a V12 engine. It was also a commercial disappointment: too expensive, too complex, and rendered quickly obsolete by the cars it competed against.

The Car

The E31 used the M60 4.0-litre V8 in the 840Ci producing 286bhp and the M70/M73 5.0 and 5.4-litre V12 in the 850Ci and 850CSi. The 850CSi is the rarest and most desirable. It used the S70 V12 tuned by BMW Motorsport to 380bhp, with a six-speed manual gearbox as the only transmission available. Just 1,510 CSis were built. The E-Bus electrical architecture, drive-by-wire throttle, and active rear steering were all production firsts for BMW.

What Goes Wrong

Nikasil bore coating on M60 V8 engines is the primary concern; this is the same susceptibility to high-sulphur fuel as in the E38 7 Series. Post-1995 cars received steel-lined bores. The V12’s cooling system is complex and expensive when it fails. Electrical systems are highly sophisticated for their era; specialist diagnostics are essential to resolve gremlins. The 850CSi’s six-speed manual gearbox is unique to the model and parts are scarce.

Buying

The 850CSi is the collector’s E31; rare, manual, and with the full Motorsport treatment. The 840Ci is the practical route to E31 ownership. Post-1995 M62 V8 cars avoid the nikasil concern. The BMW E31 has been appreciating consistently and good examples are now serious investments.