BMW 8 Series

In an era where "grand touring" means living vicariously through nomadic YouTubers, the BMW 8 Series reminds us that drivers once took to the open highway in luxuriously large coupes with powerful engines. The 8 Series might conjure up a nostalgic idea, but it's one of the best modern grand-touring cars around. Available as a coupe or convertible, with a stout six-cylinder engine or prodigious twin-turbo V8, the 8 Series is plush, fast and built for hours of comfortable driving.

For 2022, last year's optional M Sport package now comes standard. It includes black exterior trim, upgraded brakes, and sport seats with enhanced bolsters and shape. Nineteen-inch wheels are also now standard issue. The 8 Series isn't cheap, of course. A handful of worthy rivals cost about the same, including the Porsche 911, which offers sharper handling but a less decadent interior. The Lexus LC 500 and Jaguar F-Type also merit a look for anyone considering the big BMW. Read on for our Expert Rating and a deeper dive into today's 8 Series.

Which 8 Series does MatoCar recommend?

Give us a base trim 840i and we'd be happy. It's got all the style and long-distance comfort we need in a big coupe cruiser. But the twin-turbo V8 in the M850i is sublime and adds a level of authoritative power and personality that makes the higher price worth it. We'd also add the Driver Assistance and Driver Assistance Professional packages for the enhanced driver assist features.

The 2022 BMW 8 Series comes in either coupe or convertible body styles in three trims: 840i, 840i xDrive and M850i xDrive. (There's also a four-door 8 Series Gran Coupe, reviewed separately.)

The 840i models use a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine (335 horsepower, 368 lb-ft of torque). The standard 840i is rear-wheel-drive, while the 840i xDrive is all-wheel-drive. The M850i xDrive, also all-wheel-drive, uses a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 (523 hp, 553 lb-ft). An eight-speed automatic is standard on all trims.

840i Comes well equipped with features such as:

19-inch wheels
Adaptive suspension
M Sport differential (can enhance traction during acceleration)
High-performance brakes
Adaptive LED headlights
Power trunk
Soft-close doors (catch as they're being closed and gently pull shut)
Power-adjustable, heated front sport seats
Heated sport steering wheel and armrests
Leather upholstery
Multi-color ambient cabin lighting

Standard technology features and driver aids include:

Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)
16-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system
10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation
Wireless device charging pad
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
Digital instrument display
Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)

The 840i xDrive comes standard with the above equipment but adds all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering (optional on the 840i), and convertibles come equipped with a folding fabric top.

M850i xDrive Besides the more powerful V8 engine, additional features include:

20-inch wheels
Sport-tuned transmission
Adaptive sport suspension
Active roll stabilization
Increased top speed limiter
Ventilated front seats

There are two option packages available for all trims, and a performance upgrade package for the M850i xDrive.

Driving Assistance package

Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the 8 Series and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)
Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)

Driving Assistance Professional package

Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the BMW and the car in front)
Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Front cross-traffic alert

Cooling and High Performance Tire package (M850i only)

20-inch wheels
High-performance tires
Upgraded engine cooling system

There are a handful of stand-alone options for the 840i, including ventilated front seats, rear-wheel steering, a Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system, various wood and metal interior accents, a gear selector and select controls in faceted glass, and different 19- and 20-inch wheel designs. The same options are available for the M850i (some are standard features), as well as a carbon-fiber roof and carbon-fiber exterior trim.