I drove a $126,000 BMW M850 convertible to find out if the car could combine power and style - here's the verdict
The 1019 BMW M850i xDrive convertible arrived in a sharp "Sonic Speed Blue" paint job.
The BMW 8-Series has been missing in action since the late 1990s. But boy, that old car was a thing of beauty! Back then, you could choose between a V8 or a V12.
The M850 looks ... OK with the top up, but the coupé looks better.
I immediately dropped the lid, an automated operation that takes about 15 seconds, with the soft top stowing in a compartment behind the back seat.
You really want to engage in some open-air motoring with the car. And fortunately, spring warmth and sunshine arrived on cue in the Northeast.
The signature BMW kidney grille is blacked-out and narrow, stretching from headlight to headlight.
The M850's proportions are good, not great. I'd prefer some extra hood.
The sleek headlights are adaptive LEDs, meaning that the high-beams can be adjusted to traffic by dimming and the headlights themselves can adjust in their pods.
My test car came with 20-inch wheels, sporty rubber, M-Sport brakes, and an adaptive M-Sport suspension.
Trunk space is usually a compromise with convertibles ...
... And the M850 is no exception. There's barely enough room for a small gym bag and a squash racquet.
The M850 badging is modest. This isn't a full-on BMW M car — a proper M8 will arrive later. The M850i does get some M-Sport goodies, though, such as the aforementioned brakes and an M Sport differential.
Let's pop the hood and check out that mighty powerplant!
The twin-turbocharged V8 is a 4.4-liter mill than makes 523 horsepower with 553 pound-feet of juicy torque. The power is sent to the all-wheel-drive system via an eight-speed automatic with manual mode. Fuel economy is surprising: 17 mpg city/26 highway/20 combined.
Time to slip inside! The M805i's interior isn't as posh as what you'd find in a Mercedes or Aston Martin, but it's nevertheless quite well appointed and tectonically purposeful. The front seats and armrests are heated and cooled — and there's a neck warmer available, for $400.
The back seat is ... well, it's snug, with room for two adults as long as they don't mind developing a close relationship with their knees.
Nobody is going to argue with the sunshine pouring in, however.
I always find BMW steering wheels to be too thick. But the feel of the M850s leather-wrapped wheel is excellent, and the buttons and knobs allow for hand-free operation of vehicle systems and the infotainment. The instrument cluster is all digital.
The wheel is also heated, and there's a nod to the M-Sport features.
The BMW M850 has a "Display Key" that contains a small touchscreen with which climate controls can be set remotely and the vehicle's status assessed.
The Display Key is recharged using the car's wireless pad.
The center console houses the glistening crystal shifter (too much bling for me), the iDrive infotainment controls, and the drive-mode selector.
The M850's infotainment system, iDrive, runs off a 10.25-inch screen. It's effective, but it's also rich with branching sub-menus.
GPS navigation was faultless in my testing.
Owners get a one-year subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. There are also USB/AUX ports for devices, and Bluetooth pairing.
The systems also showcases the drive modes. I rather enjoyed Adaptive, which adjust to driving needs and the driver's style, but ...
... many owners will favor Sport and Sport plus to get the full effect of that roaring, barking, rumbling V8 as you work it up and down the gears and the torque band. The M850 can hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, on its way to a 155mph top speed.
The Harman Kardon Surround Sound audio system is brilliant — BMW has really found a superb partner here.
So what's the verdict?
I like two-doors with monumental engines: the Ferrari 812 Superfast, the Mercedes AMG GT, the Aston Martin DB11. When you're talking about GT cars, you've got me at "G."
This is, of course, age talking. I'm not a youngster, so taking a sports car hard into a corner appeals to me less than it once did. Going fast in a straight line is fine, of course. If I'm surrounded by luxury, so much the better.
The M850 is what we might once have called a "fine automobile." You certainly feel fine in it, sort of like Goldilocks: it's not too stiff, but it's a bimmer, so it's not too soft either. The car is cut from lightweight aluminum, but it manages to soak up the bumps relatively well (it tips the scales at about 4,500 lbs., so it's not a featherweight).
The V8 serves up 70 fewer ponies than what I savored in the M5 last year, but that's to be expected with the sub-M-Sport M850i. To be honest, I don't need 600 hp to have fun — 500 and change is good by me.
The 850 I tested was also equipped with about $2,000 worth of driver-assist and semi-self-driving tech, which I had previously explored on a BMW X7 SUV. I avoided the parking assistant and the traffic jam assist (the former is iffy, while in the case of the latter, I didn't find myself in any jams). The surround view 3D camera is cool however, providing a bird's-eye view of the vehicle when maneuvering.
If you're one of the few and the proud and the brave who might be in the market for a real GT car, the BMW 850i should OF COURSE be on your shopping list. To answer the question of whether it's worth $126,395 ... if you have to ask, you're kind of missing the point.
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