2020 BMW M850i Gran Coupe review: Bigger is better

BMW’s ideal ‘coupes’ are the ones with four doors.


Emme Corridor/Roadshow

The new BMW eight Sequence is just more than a year aged, and it even now feels refreshing as a daisy. But no carmaker enjoys splitting its model strains into myriad variants like BMW, and in just this shorter volume of time, we now have the 840i, M850i, M8 and M8 Competitiveness, all of which can be had as a two-door coupe, convertible or four-door Gran Coupe. That implies there are twelve distinct versions of the eight Sequence from which to opt for, and I imagine this M850i Gran Coupe is truly the choose of the litter.

Table of Contents

Like

  • The twin-turbo V8 has all the power you are going to ever have to have
  • Four-door sort makes this the most useful eight Sequence
  • Superb driver-assistance tech
  • Has all the creature comforts you would ever want

You should not Like

  • iDrive 7 has a steep studying curve
  • Android Vehicle is just not available just but

The Gran Coupe is so named for its larger proportions more than the two-door eight Sequence coupe, with a more time wheelbase, a broader footprint and, most certainly, two much more doors, letting enhanced entry to the larger rear seats. Taking care of Editor Steven Ewing place the foundation 840i Gran Coupe via its paces past year, and claimed the 3.-liter turbo I6 motor supplied a lot of grunt, but this M850i tester goes significant with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, superior for 523 horsepower and 553 pound-ft of torque.

Which is much more than ample power for this four-door, even with the included 300 pounds it carries more than the two-door coupe. The chassis is extremely nicely sorted — there’s hardly any entire body roll and the Adaptive M suspension strikes a superior harmony amongst agency and cushy. The amount of total stiffness and composure is truly very shocking, provided this vehicle’s sizing.

The eight-speed automatic transmission is a desire, so substantially so that I by no means uncover it needed to use the paddle shifters. This transmission by no means has to hunt for the ideal gear, it holds revs steadily in Sport and Sport Additionally modes and eagerly downshifts below braking so there’s often immediate power available though exiting a corner.

Cornering characteristics are made superior many thanks to the optional rear-axle steering, which helps the M850i Gran Coupe rotate via tight curves. This same tech, which can turn the rear wheels in or out by two.five levels based on speed, makes lane-alterations less difficult on the highway, way too.

The M850i’s iDrive tech has a lot of operation, but it requires a though to grasp.


Emme Corridor/Roadshow

This up-amount Gran Coupe provides a variety of other M goodies, together with a sport rear differential, which keeps torque relocating facet to facet amongst the again wheels as desired. The M Sport brakes are terrific, scrubbing off speed with relieve, without having currently being hard to modulate. I even like the $4,a hundred M Carbon Exterior layout bundle which, put together with this car’s 20-inch wheels, give the significant four-door a actually intense look.

Even when you are not blasting all around, the M850i is nicely sorted in its default Consolation manner, with a soft suspension that soaks up most pavement imperfections. In this article, the transmission shifts so easily it truly is practically imperceptible. If this car had massaging seats, my commute would be heaven.

That claimed, it truly is not like the M850i is just not chock-a-block with options. I have obtained heated and cooled seats, heated armrests and a heated steering wheel. The diamond-slice glass gear selector is a awesome if flashy little bit of attractiveness, and the $3,400 sixteen-speaker, one,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins seem system is unquestionably divine.

Go on, splurge for the glass controls.


Emme Corridor/Roadshow

In addition to currently being cozy, commuting in the M850i Gran Coupe is mostly pressure-free of charge, many thanks to all the available driver-assistance options. The only lousy information is that most of them are optional extras, which appears foolish on a car that starts off at $109,895, together with $995 for destination. I like the Targeted traffic Jam Assist, which combines adaptive cruise manage, steering aid and lane-holding aid to aid highway commuting. The system stays energetic for thirty seconds when visitors arrives to a halt, way too, so I do not have to continue to keep flicking the “resume” toggle in purchase to reactivate this tech.

The M850i Gran Coupe also has parallel and perpendicular parking assistance, in addition to a again-up assistant that can try to remember the past one hundred sixty five ft of your drive and instantly trace the same path in reverse. It is really tremendous practical in tight, crowded parking heaps. The 360-degree digital camera has a crisp, crystal clear feed, and you can even see your car though parked from the BMW Connected app.

Cabin tech is managed by BMW’s iDrive 7 software, housed on a twelve.3-inch central display, as nicely as a 10.two-inch reconfigurable gauge cluster. iDrive has a really steep studying curve, with a lot of menus for menus’ sake, but a lot of other Roadshow staffers like it, and after you happen to be utilized to the system, it truly is not so lousy. Apple CarPlay is now included, and free of charge (lastly!). CarPlay is also wireless, which is magnificent. And though BMW does not but give Android Vehicle, the tech is coming this July.


Emme Corridor/Roadshow

All of this tech is the same as what you are going to uncover in the relaxation of the eight Sequence Gran Coupe products, but the feather in the M850i’s cap is its total performance harmony. The M850i provides a significant stage up more than the lesser 840i Gran Coupe, but is just not as more than-the-top rated as an M8. It is really a total 2nd more quickly in the -to-60-mph operate than the 840i, able to do the dash in 3.7 seconds. And at no issue does 523 hp and 553 lb-ft ever really feel like it is just not ample — the M850i’s V8 has a lot of power for just about every circumstance. So substantially so, in truth, that I do not consider the included cost to stage up to the M8 is actually needed.

Even towards rivals, the M850i Gran Coupe provides a powerful bundle. The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is softer, and the Porsche Panamera is way much more costly. In truth, the Gran Coupe is the minimum-costly model of the BMW eight Sequence — if you want a lesser two-door, you are going to have to spend much more cash.

The 2020 BMW M850i Gran Coupe provides the ideal bang for your buck in the entire eight Sequence assortment. The M850i Gran Coupe has much more than ample power, but maintains a amount of composure that makes it appropriate for daily driving. It is really much more useful than the coupe or convertible, and honestly, it looks superior, way too. Of all the new eight Sequence products, this is unquestionably the a single to get.

Maria J. Danford

Next Post

How to Watch Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders Debate Tonight

Mon Mar 16 , 2020
Tonight, former vice president Joe Biden and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders will satisfy onstage to discussion for the eleventh time in the 2020 campaign season—but it is hardly ever been rather like this. We’re days into a condition of nationwide unexpected emergency over the coronavirus pandemic that is rapidly spreading […]

You May Like