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2019 BMW M850I

REVIEW: THE BEAST IS BACK

Design of the Year, check. Driven on-track in Portugal, check. Stuck in traffic, check. We’ve

now studied the new 8-series in myriad environments, and we’re happy to report the 2019 BMW

M850i xDrive is one hell of a coupe, marking a triumphant return of the 8 Series nameplate

after more than 20 years.

The sleek two-door feels spry, sporty, and vigor-
ous on the open road, and around town it fits like a
well-tailored suit. And it cuts a mean profile practi-
cally anywhere. Its blacked-out twin-kidney grille is
just the right size, its clamshell hood is as wide as
Sunset Boulevard, and the laser-beam headlights
shine brighter than any starlet. Our test example
wore a coat of Barcelona Blue paint complemented
with dark wheels, as well as a set of blue M-branded
front calipers that pinch absolutely massive rotors—
key in decelerating a 4,478-pound rocket from
speed. You may be surprised to learn, however, that
that weight figure makes the new car only about
eight percent heavier than the old model.

Instead of the original 850i’s V-12, the M850i packs
a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine shared with the
M550i sedan but tuned here for 523 horsepower
and 553 lb-ft of torque—quite a hike over the four-
door’s 456 horses and 480 lb-ft. As in the sedan,
the V-8 is mated to an eight-speed automatic trans-
mission and standard all-wheel drive. The latter
apportions its power with a bias toward the rear
axle, and the M850i also has four-wheel steering
to help maneuverability at speeds below 45 mph in
Comfort mode and 55 mph in Sport mode and im-

20 JUNE 2019 Road-Test china 2 wheels 21