BMW M850i Gran Coupe 2020 Review

BMW’s Gran Coupe lineage began in 2012 with a stretched-out, four-door version of the 6 Series coupe.

As Munich’s response to the boldly-successful Mercedes-Benz CLS that was launched in 2004 as a low-slung, curvaceous re-think of the E-Class sedan, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe sprang from the more mundane 5 Series sedan.

Upgraded to 8 Series status in 2019 and based on a platform shared between 5 Series and 7 Series BMWs, the new, bigger Gran Coupe affirms the company as a determined stayer in this high-price, low-volume and personalised segment of the luxury market.

Available currently in six-cylinder M840i, V8 xDrive M850i and 460kW M8 Competition form, the 8 Series Gran Coupe sits at the upper end of BMW’s model line-up.

The BMW M850i Gran Coupe runs the bellowing 390kW/750Nm 4.4-litre biturbo V8 already employed in equivalent two-door coupe and convertible variants and is equipped to the hilt with an extensive hit-list of M engineering such as adaptive M suspension, M Sport brakes and an M Sport differential – as well as high-end technology such as night vision and laser headlights.

It’s no shrinking violet.

Priced from $277,900 plus on-road costs, the BMW M850i Gran Coupe slugs it out in the same arena as the Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte and the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.

Launching in Australia alongside the rear-drive six-cylinder 840i variant (from $204,900), the all-wheel drive V8-powered M850i xDrive four-door runs with the equivalent two-door coupe and convertible models priced from $280,900 and $289,900 respectively.

The 8 Series Gran Coupe range was further bolstered this year by the flagship M8 Competition that starts at $354,900 and aims directly at its cross-town rival, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-door Coupe.

With so much standard equipment already on board, the M850i Gran Coupe doesn’t offer many options, although our preview car, with the help of ivory white Merino leather trim and matte-finish Frozen Bluestone paintwork, did push the price up beyond $290K (before on-road costs are added).

BMW continues to stick with its three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty but one wonders, as the dominos fall and more car-makers move to longer-term cover, for how much longer.

What do you expect of a wide-girthed, hunkered-down conglomeration of adaptive-suspended, liquorice-strap-tyred and sumptuously-furnished so-called coupe that is motivated by a stunning powerhouse of an engine?

All those kilowatts, and all those Newton-metres, are delivered to a set of staggered, oversize tyres by full-time all-wheel drive and a quick-thinking M Sport differential that maximises the prodigious power delivery, especially on exiting corners.

The BMW M850i Gran Coupe, for all its two-tonne weight, is almost contemptuously fast, capable and exhilarating.

At 3.9sec, the time taken to reach 100km/h from a standstill is blindingly quick, and the sounds emitted by the quad exhausts are almost rudely omnipresent, particularly if the driver switches the controls to Pro Sport (there are also Comfort and Eco Pro settings), where suspension, steering and accelerator/transmission response become almost manically – but addictively – urgent.

Between settings, the differences in overall behaviour are almost profound.

The M850i steers and grips wonderfully too, while the ride, though firm in any setting, is well-controlled and, helped by the long wheelbase, ultimately comfortable.

No, we didn’t come anywhere near equalling the official 10.0L/100km consumption figure, though given the mind-reeling performance, our recorded 14.1L/100km seemed acceptable.

But we did think the fuel capacity, at just 68 litres, is a tad stingy for a two-tonne, mega-torque projectile.

The BMW M850i Gran Coupe will, for those with a dramatic flair and the means to sign up for a $278K car, be difficult to resist.

The cabin is plush and exquisitely finished with intriguing features such as the cut-crystal shift knob and the faceted glass on the iDrive surround, while BMW’s iDrive control system continues to impress with its ability to make complex tasks almost simple.

Yes, with more than adequate legroom front and rear, and just-adequate headroom in the back, the 8 Series Gran Coupe will cater for four adult passengers, while offering an occasional stint in the centre of the rear seat. But there’s no questioning that it’s really one for four.

The boot, quite deep but configured to carry a relatively meagre 440 litres of luggage (the Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe all do better), could be seen as a bit restrictive for some, but who in their right mind would expect such an unashamedly lavish style-statement to act as a load-bearing family hack?

Being so low-slung, and sporting such an expansive bonnet, the Gran Sport doesn’t offer a great view of its extremities, particularly towards the front.

But it is able to park itself if you want, and the views to the side and rear, though nothing outstanding, don’t have passengers feeling claustrophobic.

The low hip point does mean you need to scramble, sometimes awkwardly when tightly-parked or on a slope, out of the Gran Coupe as if it were a sports car.

Hang on, that’s what it purports to be…

There’s no questioning that the BMW M850i Gran Coupe has an unmistakable presence, something not difficult to do when the proportions are so low, squat and wide, but also helped in our preview car by the arresting, matte-grey paintwork. And the intrusive, echoing exhaust bark.

You’d have every right to expect a car priced at more than a quarter of a million dollars to offer up something special.

The BMW M850i Gran Coupe certainly does that – and backs it up with a rare driving experience at a level not readily available to those normally accustomed to ordinary four-door passenger sedans.

How much does the 2020 BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe cost?
Price: $277,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Output: 390kW/750Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 245g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested


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