Used 2023 BMW 8 Series

The BMW 8 Series serves well as the flagship grand touring car for the brand. Available in three distinct body styles, the 8 Series is a worthy successor to the iconic “E31” from the 1990s. It offers top-notch luxury, performance, and technology in a BMW, not to mention head-turning styling.

There’s a lot of variety in the 8 Series model range. It’s available as a coupe, convertible, or 4-door “Gran Coupe” with roomier back seats. There are also various mechanical configurations; a base turbocharged inline-6 and a turbocharged V8 available in three different tunings depending on which variant you go with.

The BMW 8 Series has few direct competitors. The closest would be the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT since it’s available as a coupe, roadster, or “4-door coupe” and offers similar performance at a similar price point.

One change worth noting for the 2023 model year is the discontinuation of the standard, non-Competition M8.

The BMW 8 Series is a rewarding car to drive in all of its many forms. Regardless of the body style or engine, you’ll enjoy the drive.

Drivers with a big appetite for performance might find the base 6-cylinder engine a bit underpowered. It’s more than adequate for relaxed highway cruising, but the V8-powered M850i is a worthwhile upgrade. It offers much stronger performance while keeping the price just under the 6-digit mark.

The 8 Series strikes an excellent balance of comfort and performance. It has the agile handling of a sports car and the smooth comfort of a luxury sedan without compromise. This is especially the case with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which is optional on the 6-cylinder 840i and standard on every other variant of the 8 Series.

Upgrading to the M8 Competition or the Alpina B8 takes the 8 Series to the next level of performance. They both make over 600 horsepower and turn this BMW into a veritable supercar with lightning-quick acceleration without losing its luxurious comfort.

If you want to drive fast in supreme comfort and style, few cars can do it as well as the BMW 8 Series.

The interior quality of the 8 Series is what you would expect from the flagship of the BMW brand. This cabin uses top-notch materials and a sophisticated design with comfortable front seats for short drives and long runs on the highway.

The back seats are pretty cramped in the 2-door models. The legroom and headroom in the back are more generous in the 4-door Gran Coupe model, but we still wouldn’t call it a family car. If you’ll be using the back seats regularly, a high-performance 5 Series may be a better fit.

Many interior options let you customize the interior of your 8 Series. Various colors available for the leather upholstery include Cognac, Fiona Red, Night Blue/Black, and more conservative colors. Available interior trims include carbon fiber, aluminum, and a piano black motif.

The BMW 8 Series is a head-turner. This class has more aesthetically adventurous options, like the Lexus LC. Still, the design of the 8 Series strikes a nice balance of conservative, traditional BMW styling and a modern, high-end sports car.

The wide variety of body styles is one of the most appealing aspects of the 8 Series. You can get one as a traditional 2-door coupe, a convertible, or a more practical 4-door “Gran Coupe.” If you want the Alpina B8, it’s only available as a Gran Coupe. You can have every other variant in any of the three body styles.

The 2-door 8 Series is about the same size as the Lexus LC, and it’s bigger than the 2-door Mercedes-Benz AMG GT. The dimensions of the 4-door 8 Series Gran Coupe are similar to those of the 4-door AMG GT.

3 BODY STYLES
We love the variety in body styles for the 8 Series. Choose between a traditional coupe, a drop-top convertible, or the 4-door Gran Coupe, which adds practicality without sacrificing performance.

EXCITING ENGINES
The base turbocharged inline-6 will satisfy many drivers, but you’ll enjoy one of the three available twin-turbo V8 models if you crave more performance.

Every BMW 8 Series comes well-appointed. Standard features on the base 840i model include an M Sport differential, M Sport brakes, Merino leather upholstery, an Anthracite headliner, an iDrive infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Harman Kardon 16-speaker premium audio, a digital gauge cluster, and a head-up display. Also standard are heated front seats, armrests, and steering wheel, plus all of the creature comforts you would expect from a luxury car in this price range.

Standard safety tech features include lane-departure warning, frontal collision warning, automatic city collision mitigation braking, a backup camera, automatic high beams, and adaptive LED headlights.

Additional standard equipment in the Gran Coupe model includes 4-zone automatic climate control, a power rear sunshade, and a panoramic moonroof.

The trim structure of the 8 Series primarily has to do with what level of performance you’d like. The M850i, Alpina B8, and M8 Competition are all powered by a twin-turbo V8, and you can choose your level of performance. The xDrive AWD system is standard on all but the base 840i model, where it’s optional.

There are a few appealing option packages and many individual options you can add to customize the 8 Series to your liking. The Driving Assistance and Driving Assistance Professional packages add more safety tech. The Comfort Seating Package adds front ventilated seats and neck warmers to the 840i convertible. There’s a Cooling and High Performance Tire package for the M850i coupe and Gran Coupe.

The long list of individual options includes various wheel and interior trim options, BMW M 50 Years badging, an Alcantara headliner, glass controls, an M Carbon roof, etc.

A 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 powers the base 840i. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and the xDrive all-wheel-drive system is optional.

For most buyers, the sweet spot in the 8 Series model range is the M850i. This is where the stellar twin-turbo V8 engine is introduced with a significant upgrade in power and torque over the base 6-cylinder engine. AWD comes standard.

If you have the taste and the budget for a really high-performance luxury car, consider the Alpina B8 or the M8 Competition. These both use their own respective tuning of the same V8 in the M850i. The Alpina B8 is more fuel-efficient and makes more torque, while the M8 Competition model makes the most horsepower in the 8 Series lineup. AWD is standard on both of these as well.

Every 8 Series delivers power to the wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 (840i)
335 horsepower @ 5,000-6,500 rpm
368 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/30 mpg (coupe), 22/29 mpg (convertible, Gran Coupe), 20/27 mpg (xDrive coupe, xDrive convertible, xDrive Gran Coupe)

4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (M850i)
523 horsepower @ 5,500-6,000 rpm
553 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-4,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/25 mpg (coupe), 17/24 mpg (convertible, Gran Coupe)

4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (Alpina B8 Gran Coupe)
612 horsepower @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
590 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24 mpg

4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (M8 Competition)
617 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
553 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-5,860 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/21 mpg