I came of driving age during the reign of the E31, and I still remember magazines taunting that the M8 would soon be with us. Of course, it never came – at least, not until today. But we still did get an E31 breathed upon by the Motorsports division in the spectacular 850CSi. The heart of the CSi was a special ‘S’ motor. In this case, BMW Motorsport GmbH took the M70 and beefed it up seriously. Bored out to 5.6 liters and with compression bumped up and revised electronic programing, the resulting S70 took BMW’s V12 from 296 horsepower to 372 with 420 lb.ft of torque on tap. Macht schnell, indeed! But there were a host of other changes; offered only with a manual 6-speed gearbox, the CSi also got a quicker steering rack, Euro M5 brakes, shorter and stiffer springs, and M System II ‘Throwing Star’ 17″ staggered wheels. A new body kit made the elegant E31 look much more menacing, too. Europeans even had the option of 18″ M Parallels and, amazingly, 4-wheel steering.
In 1993, this car cost almost $110,000. Today that’s nothing, as you can spec a special-order M3 up to that amount. But back then? That was nearly the price of three M3s. These super coupes have never really come down in price, as like their contemporary the 928GTS, they have maintained an aura of unobtainium and sacredness to a generation of motoring enthusiasts. Today’s example is one of the more special ones out there, as inside and out it was finished by BMW’s Individual department – and boy, is it stunning.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 BMW 850CSi Individual at Auto Leitner
Year: 1993
Model: 850CSi
VIN: N/A
Engine: 5.6 liter V12
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 88,800 km (55,170 mi)
Location: Alkmaar, Netherlands
Price: E. 92,500 (~$109,750 today)
Top 850CSI in stock! Truly beautiful example with a great history and the right specs! This BMW 850 CSI Individual is finished in 287 Mauritius blue metallic with 999 Individual Sonderleder nappa black/champagne and equipped with almost all possible factory options including electric sliding/tilting roof, sun blinds, green track at the front and rear, electrically adjustable steering wheel and more. From new with 4 original 18 inch Alpina rims. Coming from a private collection and this CSI with a full dealer history. From front to back, from top to bottom, from inside to outside immaculate. One of a kind!
0210-ASC, Traction Control0216-Servotronic
0223-EML sport and comfort mode
0240-Leather airbag steering wheel
0243-Airbag for passenger
0245-Electrically adjustable steering column
0255-Leather sports steering wheel
0302-Alarm system with remote control
0350-M front and rear spoiler
0353-Green track in front and rear window
0401-Electric sliding/tilting roof
0412-Ski hatch through-loading option
0416-Electric sunshade
0423-Velor mat set
0428-First-aid kit and warning triangle
0431-Automatically dimming interior mirror
0435-M mirror package
0436-Rooflining black
0459-Electrically adjustable seats with memory
0481-Sport seats
0494-Seat heating
0500-Headlight Washers
0528-AUC air circulation
0543-Air conditioning automatic
0555-On-board computer
0659-Radio BMW Business CD
0676-Hi-Fi active-speaker system
0704-M sports suspension
Z1XX-Individual bi-color leather nappa black/champagne
And further: folding rear seats, 18 inch original Alpina rims, 4 good 285/35 ZR18 and 245/40 ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport tires, metallic paint, 6-speed manual transmission, ABS, cruise control, comfort closure, central locking, tools complete and unused , electric windows and door mirrors, tinted glass, electric and heated door mirrors, number plates with imposed letters, height-adjustable seats and steering wheel, original BMW flashlight, original unused spare wheel.
-original dealer stamped service book
-dealer maintenance invoices
-instruction manual car
-instruction manual stereo
-code card stereo
-4 original keys
-car card
-book dealer addresses 1993/1994
-inspection reports
-valuation report
-original brochures
-original flashlight
-original leather storage folder
Impressive indeed. If the Mauritius Blue Metallic paint doesn’t get you, and the two-tone Nappa black and champagne leather just isn’t enough, those Alpina wheels will surely draw you in. Condition is great, mileage is lower, and there’s nothing I can see to complain about in presentation. Price? Well, these have never been cheap cars, and $110k is hardly affordable. Yet compared to where some US models are trading, you certainly aren’t paying a premium. It’s out of my league, but still remains a fixture of my dreams.
Special thanks to our reader John for the spot!
-Carter
Wow, that is stunning! What a beautiful color combination! I can bet that blue would look even better out in the sunlight. And that interior is perfect. The price is pretty fair surprisingly. My only gripe is that it is missing the wood trim in the interior. Why do some CSI’s not have wood inside just plastic?
Gorgeous car! Someone 850 csi guru like Alec could authenticate and bring it stateside, jump it thru all the hoops to be legal, CA legal even better, sell it on BaT and make 50k or more in the process.
I buy my cars to hold and this is out of budget but oh my!