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Nov 2, 2009 07:00 AM
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Detroit, 12:08 AM
Wed Feb 10
27 posts in the last 24 hours
It's said size doesn't matter, but you know that's not true. And while you might expect too small to be the issue, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a BMW for which the seller's wife claimed the opposite.
A halo car must have a presence, whether it be in its dramatic countenance or commanding proportions. The BMW E-31 8-series had both these factors playing in its favor when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989. With a nose reminiscent of the original BMW turbo, pillar-less coupe body and originally the M7B50 V12 engine, it was positioned above the older 6-series coupe, and against the competing Mercedes S-class coupes.
Despite having so much going for it, the 850 was somewhat unloved, and sales reflected that. In an attempt to provide a broader price range - and greater sales - for the coupe, V8-engined versions were introduced to supplement the big twelves. And while sales never really took off, the lighter, and less thirsty V8s proved to overcome the 850s reputation as a ponderous handler, which was due to the engine weight and despite being their first car with the now ubiquitous multilink rear end.
Today's candidate is a 1995 example of that lighter V8-powered car, dubbed the 840Ci. This is one of 7,232 8-series cars sold in the U.S., and sports the M60B40 4 litre eight, which is good for a healthy 280-bhp. That's backed up by the 5-speed automatic, and pretty much everything else on the car is automatic as well.
The seller is asking $10,995, and while he claims KBB retail of $13,070. Fair market for private party comes up $10,700. The funny thing is his reason for selling it. He's big into BMWs, but apparently his wife isn't into big BMWs! The seller claims that he bought it for her - even dumping $3,000 into maintenance - only to have her complain that it was too big, and that- in her best goldilocks voice - a Z4 would be juuuuust right.
One hundred and eighty-five thousand on the clock don't seem to have taken too great a toll on the car, and as these are pretty sturdy beasts it wouldn't be untoward to expect another hundred thou before something serious goes tits up.
So, is this V8-series desirable enough that you might find that $10,999 price tag to be just right? Or does that price give you size issues as well?
You decide!
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