Fastwong
2585
Equally good on paper but not as special?
The V8 did pretty much the same numbers but never had the sound, the smoothness, the manual transmission option, or the low end torque of the v12. The sound of just the huge starter motor on the v12 was like firing up a jet engine and at cruise it was seamless power. In the '90's it felt YUGE but by today's standards it's a tiny car with more feel than most things on the road. Even the recirculating ball steering which we complained about feeling numb compared to rack and pinion is like a is like a go cart compared to contemporary electronic steering. For my body the 8 had the best interior ergonomics of any BMW ever and the pillarless design was pretty special.
In the end though, it's a car I appreciate but don't miss. It never was as fast as it looked even after all the mods (intake manifold, chip, exhaust, shorter final drive), the manual transmission while better than the auto was still not that much fun in a near 2 ton car, the flip up headlights were never bright enough to make highway driving feel safe, and it wasn't super practical either.... but man it looked good in a way I don't think BMW has been able to recapture since.
I like the orange one hiding out back...
Admittedly, I know next to nothing about BMW, so pardon my ignorance.
That was how my wife got me to move!
She whispered the magic words “four car garage”. Kent
Yep !
Definitely remember my cousin was crazy about the M635i here in Belgium. We were too young to afford such a car, but a couple of years later he acquired a fabulous 850i with that glorious V12 and a manual 6, 19 inch Hartge wheels, Hartge conversion kit, C...
I was lucky enough to spend a day in a friend's 850 CSi…
A beast indeed! Definitely on my list. Kent ...
The 850s are a bit expensive to maintain…
Not just that wonderful V12 but BMW was really pushing the limit with their electronics. I think that kept the prices down for a while. Sadly, my good friend seen in that dark green one died recently in a motorcycle accident. One day we are laughing about...
As I remember…
At the time they were new, the magazines liked the 840i even better than the 850 because the lighter engine made for better balance. The electronics would be the same, but the engine would be less expensive to operate, I’m sure. As always, finding a good ...
Equally good on paper but not as special?
The V8 did pretty much the same numbers but never had the sound, the smoothness, the manual transmission option, or the low end torque of the v12. The sound of just the huge starter motor on the v12 was like firing up a jet engine and at cruise it was sea...
Exactly so!
The 850 CSi (I think they were all manuals?) was extra special and then there were the Alpinas! What a feast for the eyes but in today's world those headlights are pretty inadequate. It was fun to drive a CSi back-to-back with the M6. A big change between...
So sorry to read that.
I'm a motorcyclist losing considering giving up the hobby and acquiring a 4 wheel machine instead. It is hard, I had 2 glorious rides last weekend and enjoy it so much. I'm married with kids, so there is always more to think about than myself.
I know. I grew up racing…
Motocross, enduros, then flat track and road racing. Riding on the street has gotten more dangerous in the past several years. I had my big one, femur, hip and pelvis while sitting still waiting to make a left. Go figure. Tough decision only you can make....
Hard choice to be sure.
My cousin just had a motorcycle accident two nights ago. He was on a club ride with friends when a deer ran out and into him at 65mph. He went flying; alive but in the hospital and pretty busted up all over.
I think the model number followed the engine and the engines were based on the country/market.
ROW=M88=M635csi US=S38=M6 The US engine was down a bit on top end power and compression but made better low end torque. The M88 was wonderful but it didn't make its full potential in the US with relatively low octane gas. It would ping on 91, needed 93/94...
Were the Swiss cars called M6 or M635? I don’t remember…
I know they also came with the S38 due to needing the catalyst. Even with lower compression the S38 with a chip could make up the lost power. It made a difference in mine although I have no plan to put it on a dyno. I'm quite happy as it is! Kent
I think a bigger difference was…
The M635s usually came in a lighter configuration. The NA M6s almost all had the rear AC units. I don’t know what they weighed but it wasn’t light! Still, on a hot day, it leaves me smiling.
Hah, no idea, how many do you think were sold in CH? Less than 50?
Yeah, I think the 30hp difference was mostly at the top end. I chipped my s38 and that was a strong engine, here's a dyno of it doing about 225 rwhp w/o cats (blue) vs with cats (red). My Z4M coupe (330 rated hp) did 275 rwhp on the same dyno so the chipp...
Sure…
The white one in front is my wife's 2003 E39 M5 with a 4.9 liter V8. The red one is a 1988 E24 M6 (aka M635Csi for most of the world) with a 3.5 liter straight 6 derived from the M1 super car. The orange one is a 2018 F83 M4 with a twin turbo 3.0 liter st...
Quite an amazing collection !
I used to own a 120 diesel M-pach with a not so good wannbe M suspension. The 1M in the picture belongs to a friend who gave it to me to use for free during 2 years … THAT was had sorted out suspension, just like my Renaultsports but then probably a bit b...
Now THAT is a friend indeed!
2 years in a 1M! I’ve driven them a couple of times and got close to buying one but they just kept getting more valuable. The E30 M3 is still a grail but you really need to drive it hard to get the best out of it. Kent
Nice cars! From one M lover to another.
The E39 M5 is perhaps the ultimate classic sports luxury sedan and that M6 is one of the best looking M cars ever. Still looks great after all these years. Cheers, John
Wow. I'm a lover of the 635csi always reminds me of that TV show
That gave the spotlight to Bruce Willis career -Moonlighting. Great collection to have and nice home for them too. Saw the new M5 this summer. To die for. Cheers S