BMW 850i: Spotted for Sale in November 2022

We spotted this white BMW 850i on Craigslist in November 2022, listed in the Raleigh area with pickup in Kenly, North Carolina. The odometer showed about 100,000 miles. We didn’t record the asking price, but we keep the listing here as a record of what a tired, as-is V12 E31 looked like on the market.

What this car was

A white 850i coupe with a gray leather interior, sold as is in what the seller called fair condition. It had been sitting outside on grass, and the hood is badly stained. The seller said the engine, transmission, dashboard and interior were all original, and the title was clear.

The big catch was that the car was in “safe mode,” the limp mode the E31 drops into when its electronics detect a fault. The seller thought it was probably electrical. On these cars that can be something simple or something deep in the wiring and engine electronics, and you only find out once you start chasing it.

What the seller disclosed:

• Running in safe mode, possibly from an electrical issue
• Sold as is
• Original engine, transmission, dash and interior
• Automatic transmission
• Clear title

The interior was the bright spot. The gray leather front and rear seats look clean and uncracked in the photos, which matters on a car where interior parts are expensive and hard to find.

A little 8 Series history

BMW revealed the E31 8 Series in 1989 and built it until 1999. It was a big, pillarless grand touring coupe with pop-up headlights, aimed above the 6 Series it replaced. The 850i used BMW’s 5.0-liter M70 V12, the company’s first production V12. Later cars were renamed 850Ci and got a larger 5.4-liter V12, and a V8-powered 840Ci joined the range.

More cars from the archive

• Every BMW 8 Series we’ve spotted, with asking prices
• 1992 BMW 318i, another BMW
• 1995 BMW 325is, another BMW
• 1990 BMW 525i, another BMW
• 1984 BMW 633CSi, another BMW