Used BMW 8 Series (Mk1, 2018-date) buyer’s guide: a GT with a hint of sports car

Verdict

The BMW 8 Series is unusual in that it’s part grand tourer and part sports car, although it’s more of the former than the latter. Some of the rivals we’ve suggested are more sporty, while others have more of an emphasis on luxury. But the BMW offers a good balance of both worlds because it’s an excellent long-distance cruiser at the same time as being fun and engaging. Practicality is also very good if you view the 8 Series as a two-seater (Gran Coupé aside), so if you’re in a position to buy one we can’t think of a good reason not to. Apart from maybe a six-cylinder 4 Series…

There was a time when every mainstream car make had a coupé or two in its range, but in recent years coupés have fallen out of favour, and there are far fewer convertibles than there used to be. But BMW has persisted with these cars that put style ahead of outright practicality, and one of its best is the 8 Series, which is as rare as it is desirable.

History

The two-door 8 Series coupé arrived in December 2018 in 840d (315bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel), or M850i (522bhp twin-turbo petrol 4.4 V8) forms. In May 2019, a convertible appeared with the same powertrains; a month later came the four-door 8 Series Gran Coupé in 840d and M850i forms, or there was a 335bhp 3.0 six-cylinder 840i. The M8 Competition arrived in December 2019 with a 616bhp twin-turbo V8.

Used - available now

2022 BMW

8 Series

55,243 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £39,604

View 8 Series

2020 BMW

8 Series

44,600 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £30,995

View 8 Series

2022 BMW

8 Series

36,044 milesAutomaticPetrol4.4L

Cash £43,500

View 8 Series

2020 BMW

8 Series

47,910 milesAutomaticPetrol3.0L

Cash £29,849

View 8 Series

A facelift in January 2022 brought a tweaked exterior design including an illuminated grille plus an improved infotainment set-up. The 840d model was also dropped from the range.

Which one should I buy?

In truth, the six-cylinder models offer all the performance and refinement you could need. The V8s give extra bragging rights, but you’ll pay more to buy and run one, without getting any extra usable performance.

The standard kit includes 20-inch alloy wheels, dynamic ambient cabin lighting, Merino leather trim, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, adaptive LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, a rear camera and electric adjustment on the front seat.

On the road

The 8 Series is a big car (every version is around five metres long), but it’s fast and surprisingly agile, albeit best suited to long, high-speed motorway drives.

The eight-speed automatic transmission that’s standard across the range works brilliantly, while the steering offers decent feedback; a choice of driving modes adjusts the throttle response, suspension stiffness and steering weight, so it’s easy to find a setting that suits, whatever the occasion.

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Even the four-wheel-drive models feel like they’re rear-wheel drive, while the M850i comes with standard four-wheel steering for even greater agility.

Alternatives to the BMW 8 Series

The closest rival is the Mercedes S-Class, which also came in coupé and convertible forms, with V8 or V12 engines. Fast, composed, fabulously built, hi-tech and with a glorious interior, the Mercedes is a tough adversary.

The Porsche 911 is superb to drive and the Jaguar F-Type is also highly desirable, just like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. If you want something really special, the Bentley Continental GT and GTC might suit, while the Lexus LC coupé and cabriolet look fabulous, but they’re very rare.

What to look for

Drive on

All variants of the 8 Series, apart from the 840i, come with xDrive four-wheel drive as standard. The 840i has rear-wheel drive.

Tyring stuff

Six-cylinder models came with run-flat tyres as standard, but the V8s were fitted with conventional rubber and a can of sealant, with the option of run-flats.

Peace of mind

There’s a three-year warranty with no mileage limit. All connected services (map updates, concierge, traffic, music) are supported only for the first three years.

Common problems

The 8 Series is too unusual for any significant fault patterns to be established from a trawl of owner forums. The key thing is to keep the software up  to date so that the infotainment and associated functions all work as they should.

Interior

Naturally, the BMW’s cabin is filled with high-quality materials, and as you’d only expect, the overall design is superb. The controls, 12.3-inch digital instrument display and 10.25-inch touchscreen are all easy to understand, while there’s plenty of adjustment for the seating position, although you sit low, so visibility is compromised. 

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Rear-seat head and legroom in the two-door models are poor, but much better in the Gran Coupé, while all models have a decent amount of oddments space. The coupé’s boot capacity is also nice and big, with 420 litres available; the Gran Coupé has 440 litres, but the convertible’s load area is pegged at just 350 litres.

Prices

The market isn’t awash with 8 Series, but there are enough to go round. Convertibles account for one in six two-door cars and diesels for one in five.

Check the price of a BMW 8 Series with our free car valuation tool...

Running costs

BMW’S Condition-Based Servicing allows up to two years or 16,000 miles between services, and because only the parts that need to be replaced are renewed, service prices aren’t fixed.

An oil and filter change costs £410; replace the air filter and spark plugs too and the bill is £735. Fresh brake fluid every two years costs £147, but there are no cambelts to replace.

Insurance will be costly, with 41 being the lowest group (for some 840ds), but most models are at least group 45; all V8s are group 50. Road tax costs £195 per year, plus the £425 expensive car supplement for the first

five years, while the most economical model, the 840d, is claimed to average 44mpg. The 840i is pegged at 33mpg and the M850i at 26mpg, but expect less in the real world.

Recalls

BMW has issued five recalls for the 8 Series in total. The first was in July 2019 because of fuel pumps leaking on cars made in March and April 2019. Faulty seatbelt buckles led to recall two, in April 2020; it affected cars made in February and March 2020.

Braking system glitches were behind the third recall, in February 2021 and involved cars made between February and November 2020. Faulty brake discs led to recall four, in March 2021; the latest campaign came in August 2022, due to engine bay fires in cars made up to September 2020.

Driver Power owner satisfaction

The 8 Series has never appeared in our Driver Power surveys, but there are always a few BMW models in there. Our latest poll included the 3 Series Mk7 (18th), 5 Series Mk7 (22nd), 1 Series Mk3 (25th), and X3 Mk3 (36th), which is par for the course; BMW rarely does spectacularly well, but a solid performance is typical. In our Brands survey, BMW came 14th out of 32, ahead of Mercedes (25th) and Audi (27th).

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Used BMW 8 Series for sale

2022 BMW

8 Series

55,243 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £39,604

View 8 Series

2020 BMW

8 Series

44,600 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £30,995

View 8 Series

2022 BMW

8 Series

36,044 milesAutomaticPetrol4.4L

Cash £43,500

View 8 Series

2020 BMW

8 Series

47,910 milesAutomaticPetrol3.0L

Cash £29,849

View 8 Series