It is 25 years and a few months since the last BMW E31 – the first 8 Series – left the assembly line in 1999. Now the car is resurrected with a V10 engine from the M5 of the 10s.
BMW had big plans with the first 8 Series. The E31 just never became the icon at the top of the model range that the brand had hoped for.
Especially because the plans for an M8 were scrapped at the last minute. The car that came out of it – namely the 850CSi – only has two M logos. One under each mandrel.
Now 25 years have passed. And like the Ford Sierra Cosworth, the long German is resurrected. The name is 858 CSL. Which is due to the engine choice.
Gone is the 5.6-litre V12 engine, which is actually 'just' two straight sixes bolted together. And instead, a V10 engine has been put in its place.
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The engine comes from the E60 generation of the M5. Which does not actually mean a 5-litre case as usual. The stroke volume has increased to 5.8 litres. Hence the name 858 CSL.
In addition to the engine, the new E31 has other headlights, a six-speed manual gearbox and, if possible, an even wider body. Reyn Speed Shop is behind the project and they used Monterey to present it to the public.
The bad news? Just like the Ford Sierra Cosworth we mentioned earlier in this article, only one car will be built. For the same reason, we also do not know anything about the price.
We actually don't do that either when it comes to performance. But we can safely count on the 507 horsepower and 520 Nm that the factory car has to do well with.
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