2023 BMW 8 Series Reviews, Pricing & Specs

While the original E31 8 Series is a fan favorite, BMW didn’t want the current G15 version to be a retro homage. That’s probably just as well because, while the E31 stood out from the rest of the BMW lineup of its day, the 2023 8 Series is instantly recognizable as a Bimmer. Its prominent twin-kidney grille, quad headlight elements, and minimal side surfacing create a visual link to other BMW models, but the overall impression is much more in-your-face.

That’s even more true for 2023 thanks to the addition of an illuminated grille. Waterfall lighting behind the grille bars activates when the car is locked or unlocked, letting everyone know exactly what you’re driving. It’s a bit gaudy but still more subtle than the light-up logo on some Mercedes models. And you can turn it off.

The 840i, 840i xDrive, and M850i xDrive models also get the more aerodynamic mirrors from the M8 for 2023, while the M850i xDrive gets retro BMW M logos for the performance division’s 50th anniversary. A new optional M Sport Package Professional Package adds Shadowline black trim, including a black grille that nicely contrasted the matte-finish Frozen Pure Grey Metallic paint on our test car.

In addition to the traditional two-door coupe and convertible body styles, BMW offers the four-door Gran Coupe. It’s yet another entry in the “four-door coupe” niche also populated by cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class and AMG GT 4-Door, and the Audi A7. It’s either a stretched coupe with rear doors and more rear legroom, or a squashed sedan with less headroom, depending on your point of view. With its low-slung silhouette, we think the Gran Coupe looks a bit like a regular BMW sedan that was chopped and sectioned by some Von Dutch-style 1950s car customizers.

The interior is typical BMW, with a clean design highlighted by a raised infotainment touchscreen that’s perfectly positioned for the driver to see, but it also has the oversized M steering wheel BMW insists on adding to its cars. Our test car had some extras that really classed up the cabin, including two-tone brown and black leather upholstery and a glass shifter and infotainment rotary controller. The latter items threw off a lot of glare, but fashion always comes at a price.

With the original E31 8 Series, the “840” badge meant eight cylinders and “850” meant 12 cylinders. Things have been downsized a bit with the current-generation 8 Series—without sacrificing performance.

The base 840i gets a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six producing 335 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive (RWD). The 840i xDrive adds all-wheel drive (AWD). Stepping up to the AWD-only M850i xDrive nets a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, with the same eight-speed automatic as the 840i models.

Available in all three body styles, the BMW M8 uses a tuned version of the twin-turbo V8. BMW previously offered base and Competition versions of the M8, but for 2023 the M8 is available solely in fire-breathing Competition guise, with 617 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. With an M-specific eight-speed automatic transmission and AWD system, that’s enough for zero to 60 mph in 3 seconds and a top speed of up to 190 mph (with the optional M Driver’s Package), BMW claims.

Alternatively, the Alpina B8 Gran Coupe boasts 612 hp from yet another version of the 4.4-liter V8, zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, and a 201-mph top speed, but with a more luxurious character. Where the M8 is built for the racetrack, the B8 is built for the autobahn.

With a factory-quoted zero to 60 mph time of 4.9 seconds and electronically limited top speed of 130 mph on its standard all-season tires (155 mph on summer performance tires), our RWD 840i Gran Coupe test car was the sloth of the 8 Series lineup. Even the AWD 840i xDrive Gran Coupe shaves a few tenths, with a factory-estimated 4.6-second zero to 60 mph time. But in any other context, it’s a pretty quick car—especially considering its roughly 4,200-pound curb weight.

The 8 Series does its best to hide that bulk when it comes to handling as well. From the quickness of the steering (aided by the optional Integral Active Steering rear-axle steer system) to the effectiveness of the standard M Sport brakes, our 840i Gran Coupe tester had the reflexes and caffeinated character of a much smaller car. It was more fun than expected in the corners, while still providing a comfortable ride for more mundane situations. Switching to Sport mode added a classic inline-six growl from the exhaust, but otherwise the cabin was so quiet that the most prominent sound was the fan for the ventilated seats.

This combination of sporty and luxurious attributes seems ideal for a BMW. The 840i has the refinement to justify its price tag, but offers a less staid driving experience than the typical Audi or Mercedes, living up to BMW’s old “Ultimate Driving Machine” tagline.

The 8 Series coupe and convertible are generously proportioned, which means plenty of room for front-seat passengers, but they still come with the compromises inherent in these two-door body styles. The coupe and convertible are four-seaters, but the back seats are best reserved for children or use as extra storage space. The 8 Series’ low ride height and seating position also makes getting in and out less dignified than, say, a 7 Series, but it’s a price worth paying for the 8 Series’ sleek styling—and pretty typical of coupes and convertibles.

The 8 Series convertible’s soft-top roof can be raised or lowered in 15 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph, providing a bit of a safety buffer against sudden downpours.

Gran Coupe models make more sense in terms of practicality. What you end up with is a four-door car that’s about five inches longer than a BMW 5 Series, with a 1.9-inch longer wheelbase, and a roof that’s three inches lower. Despite the lower roof, though, the 8 Series Gran Coupe has about the same amount of rear-seat headroom as the 5 Series—with slightly more in front. Legroom is also about the same in both cars across both rows.

The Gran Coupe does come with some ergonomic compromises, however. BMW included a center-rear seat belt, making this car a five-seater, but anyone sitting in that seat will have to wrap their legs around a tall transmission tunnel and will block other passengers’ access to the rear-seat climate controls. That tall tunnel also limits the size of the front console storage bin, and the phone slot (which can be equipped with a wireless charging pad) is a bit on the small side.

The 8 Series coupe has 14.8 cubic feet of cargo space. That shrinks to 12.4 cubic feet for the convertible, but grows to 15.5 cubic feet for the Gran Coupe.

For 2023, all 8 Series models get a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen in place of the previous 10.25-inch unit. It’s part of the BMW Live Cockpit Professional infotainment system, which also includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, seventh-generation BMW iDrive operating system, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. A Harman Kardon audio system, head-up display, and WiFi hotspot are standard as well.

The basics of this infotainment system are solid. The graphics are sharp, with a layout and typeface that are as much BMW calling cards at this point as the twin-kidney grille. The freestanding touchscreen is a bit of a reach from the driver’s seat (in our driving position, at least), but it is ideally placed for quick glances. And we found that we didn’t have to use the screen most of the time.

Like rival Mercedes, BMW includes a natural-language voice-recognition system that doesn’t require scripted prompts. It had no trouble comprehending requests to turn on the driver’s seat ventilation or switch SiriusXM satellite radio stations, although there was a bit of lag.

You can also use BMW’s familiar rotary controller to navigate through the screen’s menus with a bit more physical feedback. BMW also included shortcut buttons for important menus, plus a good complement of steering-wheel controls. So, you’ve got plenty of options here.

Despite its lofty positioning in the BMW hierarchy, the 8 Series doesn’t get much standard advanced driver-assistance tech. The base 840i only gets forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning.

An optional Driving Assistance Package (admittedly just $100 on our test car) adds blind-spot monitoring rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, parking assist, park distance control, and a surround-view camera system. You then need to add the Driving Assistance Professional Package for adaptive cruise control (with stop-and-go), traffic-jam assist, and active lane-keep assist.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) haven’t released crash test ratings for the 8 Series, which isn’t unusual for pricey low-volume vehicles like this.

The 8 Series is most efficient with the six-cylinder powertrain. Regardless of body style, or whether you go with RWD or AWD, the 840i gets EPA-rated fuel economy of 24 mpg combined (21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway). We nailed that during our weeklong test drive with an indicated average of 24.4 mpg. That’s respectable for a large and luxurious car, but efficiency drops significantly with the V8 engines. M850i xDrive models are rated at 19 mpg combined, while the M8 Competition is a bona fide gas guzzler at 17 mpg combined.

BMW’s standard warranty cover includes a four-year, 50,000-mile, new vehicle limited warranty, plus four years of roadside assistance with unlimited mileage.

Pricing starts at $88,495 for a base RWD 840i coupe or Gran Coupe and $98,095 for the 840i convertible (all prices include a mandatory $995 destination charge). Adding xDrive AWD to any of these models will cost an extra $2,900. Other models tip into six figures, with the M850i xDrive coupe and M8 Competition coupe starting at $103,495 and $135,095 respectively. And you’ll have to shell out at least $145,895 for an Alpina B8 Gran Coupe.

Our RWD 840i Gran Coupe test drive had a number of options, including Frozen Pure Grey Metallic paint ($5,000), the Driving Assistance Package ($100), M Sport Professional Package ($650), Comfort Seating Package ($650), a glass shifter and iDrive controller ($650), 20-inch wheels ($1,300), and Integral Active Steering four-wheel steering ($1,150). That brought the as-tested MSRP to $95,495 with destination.

An 840i Gran Coupe like our test car is probably as good of a value as you will get in this market segment. While it did have nearly $10,000 in options, we saw no need to go even further up the ladder to one of the V8 models. The 840i offered a satisfying driving experience, and interior that lived up to the 8 Series’ billing as one of BMW’s most prestigious models, and was even decently practical in Gran Coupe form. What more could you ask for?