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AUGUST 14 - 20 | 2020

BMW M850i Gran Coupé xDrive review

HAVING four-door practicality in a full-on sportscar is a clever bit of engineering by the guys and gals from Bayerische Motoren Werke in Germany.

To make the extra space for the back seats the Gran Coupe is longer than the 8 Series Coupe and Convertible and rides on a 200mm greater wheelbase.

It’s more likely to be purchased by those looking for a fast long distance cruiser than a sports machine, but the choice is there thanks to the ability to select from variable suspension choices.

BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe is off ered in two models, the By EWAN KENNEDY 840i and M850i xDrive. The latter is the subject of this week’s road test.

STYLING

The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe has a swooping roofline and a tucked-in glasshouse, fl ared wheel arches and trapezoidal exhaust pipes.

The M Carbon Exterior package is optional and includes various M Performance carbon-fi bre reinforced plastic (CFRP) accessories such as M carbon Air Curtain, M carbon mirror caps and single-piece carbon fi nishers around the tailpipes.

INTERIOR

Multifunctional seats for the driver and front passenger have additional adjustment functions for superior comfort, and are trimmed in BMW Individual Extended leather ‘Merino’ upholstery.

The two rear seats are individual units and have high levels of lateral support in case the driver gets over enthusiastic during cornering. A fi fth passenger can be accommodated, without a great deal of comfort in the squeezy middle rear seat.

As a true passenger car the Gran Coupe has 440 litres of luggage capacity. There are folding rear seat backrests with a 40/20/40 split. These can be folded independently of each other.

INFOTAINMENT

BMW Operating System 7.0 has a 10.25-inch infotainment display which can be operated via the iDrive Controller, also by steering wheel controls, touchscreen, gesture control or voice control.

BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant enables interaction and command operation through voice command. This is activated through the phrase ‘Hey BMW’. It provides Ŷ SPORTY: Long, low, sleek and very fast,

the BMW M850i xDrive.

information for vehicle functions as well as assisting with navigation or multimedia requirements.

ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS

The M850i has a brilliant 4.4-litre V8 dual-turbo petrol engine producing up to 390kW of power and 750Nm of torque. It has the M Performance specifi c xDrive allwheel drive system. It accelerates from zero to 100km/h in only 3.9 seconds.

The 840i uses a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with 250kW and 500Nm peak torque. It drives the rear wheels.

Both engines are coupled with an eight-speed sports automatic with shifter paddles.

SAFETY

As well as excellent ability to avoid having a crash the big Bimmer has airbags for driver and front passenger, side airbags for driver and front passenger, head airbags for front and rear seats, threepoint inertia-reel seatbelts on all seats, belt latch tensioner and belt force limiter.

BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe uses the latest driver assistance systems with Driving Assistant Professional and Parking Assistant Plus.

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10-14 Templeton Street, Wangaratta www.onemilemotors.com.au Servicing the North East community as your local Mazda dealer for over 50 years