1997 BMW 8 Series Ci review from North America

Bought the Car with a bad camshaft sensor and a leaky radiator as diagnosed by dealer before purchase.

Seat adjuster cables were also broken at purchase (both of them) but not fixed yet. This is not a problem currently, as only seat height is affected, and currently adjusted correctly.

Right hand battery died after 4 months, but was original from 1997. This was a lot of work to replace, but required no custom tools, just several screwdrivers and wrenches.

Other common issues have not come up in this car (i.e., bad pixels on computer). This car was babied by the previous owner who is a car enthusiast.

Standard maintenance costs are high, but going to independent shops that you trust will typically reduce the bill by 50%. Sticking with the 4.4L V8 engine also keeps costs down, as this is the standard running gear that is in the popular 740 from the late 90s. Everyone knows how to work on the car and parts are plentiful.

The car drives like a dream: very, very quick, responsive and stable. This car is meant to be driven fast and you have to remind yourself to slow down since the speed is so comfortable.

This is probably the most beautiful car ever made. I put this in the same class as the Jaguar XK8, the CL500, the 911, the Ferrari 550 and old Daytona and the modern Aston Martins. For looks, exclusivity, performance and price, the 840Ci is far ahead of any car I have ever dreamed about. The car is perfectly proportioned from every angle. The lack of chrome and sharply raked nose makes for a serious, fast look. The only visual flaws are the black gasketing/striping that runs around most of the car and the black door handles (no matching available). A black car resolves the problem, although maroon is probably the best color for the car (black is a close second).

Although there are probably more of these where I live than anywhere else in the country (California), the car is still extremely rare. Only about 6,000 of these were ever brought to the US (that's 6,000 total over 7 years, in all colors and engine/transmission configs). Those who know a little about cars, typically can't identify the car until they see the badge and the numbers on the trunk. Those who really know about cars get pretty excited when they see it. In all cases, I get a stare, a wave, double take or someone pointing at least once per week.

These cars are hard to find, and some are in poor shape. While records are important, getting a dealer or BMW-specialty shop to inspect the car before purchase will reduce the risk significantly. Be patient and ready to travel around to find the right one. Shipping cross-country is less than $1K and well worth it if you find a good one. Focus on '96 and '97 models, some earlier ones had bad engines although this is easy to determine with some research (see 8coupe.com and e31faq.com for extensive material)