BMW 8 E31

The BMW 8 Series (chassis code BMW E31) was a V8 or V12-engined 2-door 2+2 coupé built by BMW from 1989 to 1999. A common misconception is that the 8 Series was a successor for the original BMW 6 Series in 1989; instead it was an entirely new value proposition aimed at a different market with a substantially higher price point.
Worldwide production ceased 12 May 1999. A total of 30,621 cars were produced.

History
Design of the 8 Series began in 1984, with construction starting in 1986. The 8 Series debuted in Frankfurt at the IAA Auto Show in early September 1989. The 8 Series was designed to move beyond the market of the original 6 Series. The 8 and 6 Series cars had very different character: while the 6 Series was a solid Grand Touring car, the 8 Series was aimed more towards the supercar market. It was BMW's flagship car while in production.
Over 1.5 billion deutschmarks were spent on total development (2005 USD $1.1 billion). BMW used CAD tools, still unusual at the time, to design an all-new body. Combined with wind tunnel testing, the resulting car had a drag coefficient of 0.29, a major improvement from the 635 CSi's 0.39.
While CAD modeling allowed the car's unibody to be 8 lb lighter than that of its predecessor, the car was significantly heavier when completed due to the large engine and added luxury items-a source of criticism from those who wanted BMW to concentrate on the driving experience.
Sales of the E31 were affected by the global recession of the early 1990's, the Persian Gulf War, and energy price spikes. BMW pulled the 8 Series out of the North American market in 1997, selling only a combined model total of 7,232 cars over seven years.

Models
830Ci: (1992) 3.0 L BMW M60 V8 (Development Model) - 18 cars produced
840Ci: (1993-1995) 4.0 L M60B40 Nikasil V8 - 4,728 cars produced
840Ci: (1996-1999) 4.4 L M62B44 Alusil V8 - 3,075 cars produced
850i/Ci: (1989-1994) 5.0 L M70B50 V12 - 20,072 produced
850Ci: (1995-1999) 5.4 L BMW M73B54 V12 - 1,218 cars produced
850CSi: (1992-1996) 5.6 L S70B56 V12 - 1,510 cars produced (225 for North America 1994-1995)
Total: (1989-1999) - 30,621 cars