E31 Syndrome: The explanation of why the E31 8-series is widely regarded as a beautiful failure. This is the full history of the BMW 850i, 850Ci, 850CSi, and 840Ci.

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The BMW 850i had the first post-war German V12. It made 300 hp and was installed in a pillarless, Ferrari-esque coupe almost universally praised for its beauty.

After its debut at the 1989 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, its first 3 years of production were sold out. But many of those orders were cancelled once the press got a hold of the 850i.

Was it a bad car? In no way. The problem was that its Ferrari looks were married to an uninspired driving experience. The E31 had been conceived by BMW's R&D department (not its marketing department) as a rolling showpiece for its capabilities. And so BMW's priorities were perhaps not in line with market expectations.

In other words: E31 Syndrome. A car that looks one way but drives differently.

The discrepancy was solved when BMW's Motorsport Division made an M8 out of the 850i... but the marketing issue remained because BMW didn't badge it an M8. It was called 850CSi, which wasn't enough of a differentiator. And was made worse because the 850i was renamed 850Ci for no explicable reason.

The 850CSi was a success — it landed to rave reviews, and sold out almost immediately. But its lack of M Badging has cost it enthusiast recognition. Even though it's a full M car with a WBS VIN prefix and the same treatment that the E36 got becoming an M3 out of a 325i.

Learn all about this car on this episode of the Carmudgeon Show — a part of the Hagerty Podcast Network.

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