I have a scooby 4 door 555 in blue with gold speedline alloys which i am selling and has clocked up approx 63k miles and i am considering an 850 csi would this be a good or bad idea.

 

Depends on whether you can afford to get it fixed when it goes wrong?

It'll cost you ££££££££s to sort if anything major breaks.

 

Just dug out an old copy of Evo when they were talking about alternatives to a new 1 series, basically goes through some of the old M cars.

For the 8 series they chose the 840i rater than a V12 engined model as they said the engine was less prone to failure and was more responsive. Also the 840 al came with M suspension and other cool stuff

 

Personally I always thought the 8 was a stunning car, but I do hear they have a few major problems. I'd love one but as already mentioned the service bill will be huge even without problems, 12 spark plugs, gallons of oil, etc.

 

Mate of mine had an 840 new about 6 years ago - it also had the mega-expensive paint job - bit like the one Alfa and TVR do. It was a great car at the time, but I think it has dated badly. Be warned of big bills though. My mate was hit up the backside - cost to replace rear bumper and re do special paint job? 5 grand - you've been warned..

 

Rich mans Ford Probe

 

Not quite! I think they look quite nice with the right wheels. And with 380 horses on tap they're going to be pretty nice on the move.

 

I suppose the csi is going to drink fuel ( probably like the impreza then ) and like you guys say any bmw is bullet proof until anything major goes wrong.

 

Did see a CSI for sale through ebay and they are not cheap. I sent an email asking for a price ( it is silver, 1994 L reg, FBMWSH, just under 80k miles with a few little extras like alpina wheels and 840 ci sport kit and mint condition judging from pics) and replied with £ 15,500 and thought yeah right you can shove that up your ****. Dreaming.

 

They are nice but spectacularly expensive to service and if anything goes wrong.

 

Thanks for the info guys i am very grateful.

 

Jaguar XKR a better bet IMO, although not as exclusive.

 

The v12 engine is actually very reliable but its the ancilliaries which can go wrong such as the throttle bodies £600x2.
Tbh there are too many electronic gizmos stuffed in to this car and the age and milage go against them.
If you are prepared to set aside 3k for running costs then it should be ok.

The e36 m3 would be a better bet since its quicker and easier to mantain and just as practical.

 

The perfect csi would be with the later 5.4 v12 ( does 30 mpg at 90 mph )from the 750 il like my dads with the same suspension and chassis. If bmw made one of these with right hand drive i would be very tempted. Absolutely perfect all rounder ( well except for rear leg room ).

 

This is a 850CSi, not the normal 850i or 850Ci. Only 1510 are made & it's a M-car in everything but the name. Many consider it to be the best 8er, & it is the most powerful (380bhp) version.
I would buy the car straightaway if the price is right & in good condition.

 

Cliche from Evo magazine's "Knowledge" section :-)