BMW 8 Series 2022 Review

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?

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.