I drove a $126,000 BMW M850 convertible to find out if the car could combine power and style - here's the verdict

Matthew DeBord

May 9, 2019, 22:35 IST

I drove a $126,000 BMW M850 convertible to find out if the car could combine power and style - here's the verdict

Matthew DeBord/BI

Top down and stylin'!

The BMW M850 convertible is a stylish throwback with a powerful engine that nonetheless comes packed with high-tech features.
The convertible isn't cheap.
But the hefty price tag is certainly worth it if you've reached a certain stature in life and want to reward yourself.
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In a world that seems to want nothing but suburban utes and upscale pickups, cars like the BMW M850 convertible are romantic anachronisms. What's the point of a top-down, grand-touring, two-door convertible with a 523-horsepower engine in a realm of bubbly crossovers with turbocharged four-bangers and trucks with room in the back for lumber and logs?

The rationale behind the revived BMW 8-Series is that there must be some people out there in carlandia who value a long drive at high speed while dressed to the nines. They're probably older folks who spend more than $300 on sunglasses and favor equally pricey Italian sportswear. Their luggage matches. They fly first class.

And the last time they had a BMW 850 to spend money on, it was the 1990s. Sure, they've had the 6-Series. But decades ago, the old 8's massive V-12 motor meant that while the junior talent agents and guys who were trying to make partner while driving the 3-Series, there was something special for those who had hit the upper rungs of life's ladder.

The V-12 option is gone, and in its place is a superior (if less cool to speak of aloud) V8 that rocks a pair of turbochargers. Simply put, the new M850 isn't screwing around with its raison d'être: to propel affluent adults toward the horizon at impressive velocities.

BMW recently loaned us a 2019 M850i xDrive convertible with all-wheel-drive version, stickering at $126,000 (there's also a coupé that starts at about $112,000). I drove this first ragtop of the year around New York City and the New Jersey suburbs. I rolled large - very large. Here's what I thought:

The 1019 BMW M850i xDrive convertible arrived in a sharp "Sonic Speed Blue" paint job.

The BMW 8-Series has been missing in action since the late 1990s. But boy, that old car was a thing of beauty! Back then, you could choose between a V8 or a V12.

The M850 looks ... OK with the top up, but the coupé looks better.

I immediately dropped the lid, an automated operation that takes about 15 seconds, with the soft top stowing in a compartment behind the back seat.

You really want to engage in some open-air motoring with the car. And fortunately, spring warmth and sunshine arrived on cue in the Northeast.

The signature BMW kidney grille is blacked-out and narrow, stretching from headlight to headlight.

The M850's proportions are good, not great. I'd prefer some extra hood.

The sleek headlights are adaptive LEDs, meaning that the high-beams can be adjusted to traffic by dimming and the headlights themselves can adjust in their pods.

My test car came with 20-inch wheels, sporty rubber, M-Sport brakes, and an adaptive M-Sport suspension.

Trunk space is usually a compromise with convertibles ...

... And the M850 is no exception. There's barely enough room for a small gym bag and a squash racquet.

The M850 badging is modest. This isn't a full-on BMW M car — a proper M8 will arrive later. The M850i does get some M-Sport goodies, though, such as the aforementioned brakes and an M Sport differential.

Let's pop the hood and check out that mighty powerplant!

The twin-turbocharged V8 is a 4.4-liter mill than makes 523 horsepower with 553 pound-feet of juicy torque. The power is sent to the all-wheel-drive system via an eight-speed automatic with manual mode. Fuel economy is surprising: 17 mpg city/26 highway/20 combined.

Time to slip inside! The M805i's interior isn't as posh as what you'd find in a Mercedes or Aston Martin, but it's nevertheless quite well appointed and tectonically purposeful. The front seats and armrests are heated and cooled — and there's a neck warmer available, for $400.

The back seat is ... well, it's snug, with room for two adults as long as they don't mind developing a close relationship with their knees.

Nobody is going to argue with the sunshine pouring in, however.

I always find BMW steering wheels to be too thick. But the feel of the M850s leather-wrapped wheel is excellent, and the buttons and knobs allow for hand-free operation of vehicle systems and the infotainment. The instrument cluster is all digital.

The wheel is also heated, and there's a nod to the M-Sport features.

The BMW M850 has a "Display Key" that contains a small touchscreen with which climate controls can be set remotely and the vehicle's status assessed.

The Display Key is recharged using the car's wireless pad.

The center console houses the glistening crystal shifter (too much bling for me), the iDrive infotainment controls, and the drive-mode selector.

The M850's infotainment system, iDrive, runs off a 10.25-inch screen. It's effective, but it's also rich with branching sub-menus.

GPS navigation was faultless in my testing.

Owners get a one-year subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. There are also USB/AUX ports for devices, and Bluetooth pairing.

The systems also showcases the drive modes. I rather enjoyed Adaptive, which adjust to driving needs and the driver's style, but ...

... many owners will favor Sport and Sport plus to get the full effect of that roaring, barking, rumbling V8 as you work it up and down the gears and the torque band. The M850 can hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, on its way to a 155mph top speed.

The Harman Kardon Surround Sound audio system is brilliant — BMW has really found a superb partner here.

So what's the verdict?

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