BMW 8 Series review

Big yet nimble, luxurious yet frugal, exclusive yet well priced. The BMW 8 Series is a super-luxury coupé that’s designed to offer several seemingly conflicting qualities.

You can have your 8 Series with a choice of two petrol engines – a turbocharged six-cylinder or the same twin-turbocharged V8 that was found in the previous-generation BMW M5 (before the performance saloon became a plug-in hybrid).

On top of that, the 8 Series adds appeal by promising seating for four and loads of standard equipment no matter which version you go for. You can also get a drop-top version – to read about that see our BMW 8 Series Convertible review.

So should you get a BMW 8 Series instead of one of its supremely desirable coupé rivals? In other words, is it better than the Aston Martin DB12, Bentley Continental GT and Porsche 911? Read on to find out...

The entry-level BMW 8 Series, the 840i, has a 328bhp turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine under its bonnet, and while we've yet to try it, we doubt it'll feel slow. Indeed, while the Porsche 911 is a bit quicker off the line, the 840i's official 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds shows it's no slouch.

We have tried the M850i, with its 523bhp twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 officially firing you from 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds. That's not as quick as the similarly priced 911 Carrera S but only 0.3 seconds behind the Aston Martin DB12.

The 8 Series sounds good while you’ve got your foot down, especially in Sport Plus mode. In that setting it does a good impression of an American muscle car that's had a couple of firecrackers shoved up its exhausts.

No matter what speed you’re doing, the M850i is quick to respond to accelerator inputs, and thanks to its traction-enhancing xDrive four-wheel drive, you can deploy all 523bhp with minimal drama when the road opens up. The only way to go faster in an 8 Series is to go for the performance-focused BMW M8 (which we've reviewed separately).

On winding roads, this big luxury coupé positively shrinks around you, aided by its four-wheel steering. It’s certainly more fun for keen drivers than the vastly more expensive Bentley Continental GT but the steering doesn’t tell you a great deal about what’s happening between the tyres and the road. For proper sports car thrills we'd suggest a Porsche 911.

The 8 Series' ride is firmer and more unsettled than the Continental GT’s but far from harsh over poorly surfaced roads, even with large 20in alloy wheels. The M850i is available with optional M adaptive suspension, which you can soften or firm up by changing driving mode.

Inside you'll find it's pretty good at shutting out wind and road noise, proving quieter as you drive along than the 911 but still without the exquisitely calm progress of the Continental GT.

"The BMW M850i’s V8 engine has been slightly detuned since its time in the M5 but I don’t think you’ll mind. It still feels mighty powerful when you put your foot down." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

After you’ve absorbed the BMW 8 Series’ sleek exterior, with its flowing profile and taut surfaces, you might expect things to be equally dramatic inside. Instead, it shares its interior with the previous-generation BMW 5 Series and now feels a little dated.

There are plus points to the 8 Series' interior. For example, it has physical controls for the air-conditioning, unlike new BMW car models, which force you to delve into the infotainment system to make simple changes. As a result, it's much less distracting to adjust on the move.

It also means the 8 Series interior has a focus on build quality over showiness. From the stitching on the leather dashboard to the numerous brushed chrome trim pieces, everything feels sturdy and expensive. The Aston Martin DB12 and Bentley Continental GT have interiors that feel plusher but they’ll also cost you more – lots more in the case of the GT.

It’s easy to get comfortable when you take a seat in the 8 Series, thanks to a wide range of adjustment for the steering wheel and an electrically operated driver’s seat. And while your view of what’s directly behind is quite limited, the standard all-round sensors and rear-view camera make parking easy enough.

Every 8 Series comes with a 12.3in infotainment screen. You can control it by touch, voice control or using the iDrive rotary controller between the front seats. The software is excellent, and the touchscreen is responsive and easy to use when you're driving.

You get plenty of standard features with the system, including DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat-nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. There's also wireless phone-charging and a premium Harman Kardon stereo system.

"I have nothing against the BMW 8 Series’ interior but there’s not really anything overly exciting about it. For a bit more pizazz, you might want to add the glass iDrive controller and gear selector." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

There’s plenty of head, leg and shoulder room in the front of the BMW 8 Series, along with lots of useful storage cubbies.

The rear is much more cramped, with even smaller adults likely to find their knees are jammed against the seat in front and their head is touching the ceiling.

You can forget about getting most child seats in the back of the 8 Series – the gap between the folded front seat and the body of the car is small. And unlike in the Porsche 911, there are no Isofix mounting points on the front passenger seats.

As for your luggage, the 8 Series has 420 litres of boot space – more than the Aston Martin DB12, Bentley Continental GT and Porsche 911. The load bay is impressively long but has quite a narrow opening and a big lip at its entrance. So while a set of golf clubs will go in with no trouble, a big box probably won't.

If you like the look of the 8 Series but could do with more interior space or better accessibility and practicality, you might be better served by the four-door version. To read about that see our BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé review.

As someone that only has use for the two front seats, I found the 8 Series more than practical enough. If, however, you plan on ever using the rear seats, I’d go straight for the 8 Series Gran Coupe instead. – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The BMW 8 Series sits towards the expensive end of the coupé car market, it makes a decent case for itself when it comes to list price, undercutting the Aston Martin DB12, Bentley Continental GT and Porsche 911.

The downside is that the 8 Series is predicted to be one of the fastest depreciating cars on the market. To make matters worse, its main rivals are predicted to hold on to their value very well by any standard.

As for efficiency, the 840i will officially manage up to 33.6mpg, which is better than the key rivals. The V8-wielding 850i is less impressive, managing up to 26.9mpg, but still more frugal than the fastest and thirstiest version, the BMW M8.

No matter which version you go for, the 8 Series sits in the highest BIK tax bracket so it will be an expensive company car – as will its rivals. You'll pay much less BIK tax for a plug-in hybrid or fully electric car (the Maserati Gran Turismo Folgore for example).

Every 8 Series has plenty of standard equipment. The entry-level M Sport trim, which comes with the 840i engine, has 20in alloy wheels, heated front seats, adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry and start, and an M Sport limited-slip differential (for better control when cornering).

Stepping up to the M850i adds the more powerful V8, along with the otherwise optional M Performance Pack and M Technology Pack. Together, they add some sportier and more aerodynamic styling, M Sport brakes and M Sport seatbelts.

The only real disappointment when it comes to kit is that safety aids including lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, front collision warning and rear collision warning are all part of the optional Driving Assistant Professional pack... which is only available as part of the fairly pricey Technology Plus pack.

We can't tell you how safe the 8 Series is (with or without that kit) because it's not been tested by the experts at Euro NCAP.

In terms of reliability, BMW did pretty well in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing eighth out of 31 brands ranked – above Audi, Mercedes and Porsche (Aston Martin and Bentley did not feature in the survey).

We don’t have reliability data specifically for the 8 Series, but we can tell you it comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

"I find it quite shocking just how quickly the BMW 8 Series is predicted to depreciate, with its value dropping off faster than pretty much every car I’ve researched over the past couple of years." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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