BMW never built an M version of the 8-Series E31, but the 850CSi filled the void, despite the model being the product of the company’s M Division and the same team that produced the M3 E30.
BMW built 1,510 850CSi from 1992 to 1996, with the car powered by a naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V12 engine (S70B56), producing 381 hp and 550 Nm of torque, sent to the rear axle via a 6-speed manual transmission. manual transmission, with its weight reaching 1,790 kg.
The ambitious project of the E31 8-series already measured 8 years of development, from 1981 to 1989 which was presented with all solemnity at the International Fair in Frankfurt, costing about 1.5 billion German marks, an amount truly unimaginable for the manufacturer’s data and of the era.
Brainchild of Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle was developed with the latest technology of the time, designed with the help of CAD and was the first production car with a V12 engine that came with a 6-speed gearbox.
Apparently also BMW’s first car with a twelve-cylinder engine, the 8 featured innovations such as multi-link suspension and electronically controlled drive-by-wire throttle. Flagship Gar.
However, what was on the minds of BMW engineers was the creation of a high-performance 8-car that could pave the way for racing adventures. Reitzle assembled BMW’s dream team, engineer Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, with later stints at Rolls-Royce, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, M3 E30 “guru” and father Paul Rosche and chassis development authority Gerhard Richter .
Target; The ultimate E31 that would overshadow Porsche and Ferrari builds. And where else could they look for more help? But, to the M Division and to Schulte Vorwick, who is one of the engine development managers in the racing division of BMW.
Source: www.autoblog.gr
