Beneath the Pacific breeze at Pebble Seashore, BMW quietly rolled out a bit of its hidden historical past. Subsequent to the spotlight-grabbing debut of the 2026 BMW M850i M Heritage Version stood a a lot rarer machine: a right-hand drive BMW 850CSi, painted in the identical vibrant Shiny Crimson (often called Hellrot Uni in Germany). However this wasn’t simply any 850CSi — it was one in all solely 153 models which had been allotted to the UK market. It’s additionally one of many seven 850CSi fashions painted in Shiny Crimson. To most passersby, it seemed like a BMW traditional. However for many who know BMW historical past, this was a once-in-a-decade sighting — an icon that quietly bridged the hole between luxurious and Motorsport.
The BMW 850CSi: An M Automotive in All However Identify
The BMW 8 Sequence (E31) was all the time supposed to be greater than a successor to the unique 6 Sequence. It was a technological leap, aimed on the grand touring elite, providing a selection between V8 and V12 engines, cutting-edge aerodynamics, and a futuristic driver interface. But it surely was the 850CSi, launched within the early Nineteen Nineties, that pushed the 8 Sequence into actually rarefied air.
Formally, BMW by no means gave it an “M” badge — however beneath, the 850CSi was a Motorsport product. The complete manufacturing model used a 5.6-liter S70B56 V12, derived from the M70 however reengineered by BMW M, making 375 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. It got here solely with a 6-speed guide, stiffened suspension, faster steering, and four-wheel steering. Its VINs even started with “WBS,” the signature of each actual M automotive.
A Totally different Form of Uncommon: M70-Powered RHD 850CSi
However the automotive at Pebble Seashore tells a barely totally different story. Whereas it wore 850CSi badging and lots of the similar Motorsport tweaks, it was one in all a handful of early-production right-hand drive 850CSis constructed particularly for the UK market. And underneath the hood it additionally had the M70 5.0-liter V12, making 296 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 4-speed automated transmission. That setup makes this automotive one of the vital uncommon members of the E31 household.
From 1992 to 1996, BMW constructed 1,510 850CSi fashions worldwide. Of these, simply 160 had been right-hand drive, 153 had been formally allotted for the UK with this configuration.
Manufacturing facility Luxurious, Nineteen Nineties Type
Like all high-end 8 Sequence fashions, this 850CSi got here nicely geared up. It featured pop-up headlights, an influence sunroof, automated local weather management, and a rear sunshade. The inside was trimmed in leather-based with power-adjustable, heated entrance seats, full with driver reminiscence features — state-of-the-art consolation for its period. It additionally sat on the traditional 16-inch alloy wheels of the time, tucked into an extended, low, and unmistakably ’90s coupe silhouette.
Echoes of Heritage in Shiny Crimson
The choice to place this right-hand drive 850CSi beside the brand new 2026 BMW M850i M Heritage Version was no accident. The brand new automotive, restricted to simply 500 models globally, serves as a modern-day tribute to the unique 8 Sequence. It’s provided in 5 historic colours, together with the exact same Shiny Crimson worn by the E31 at Pebble.
Whereas the M850i M Heritage Version is full of up to date luxuries — from its twin-turbo V8 to iDrive 7 and carbon roof — the design callback to the unique 8 Sequence is unmistakable. Seeing each automobiles collectively provided a strong visible throughline: BMW honoring not simply its previous, however a really particular, and really uncommon, chapter of it.
A Second Solely Pebble Seashore Might Provide
Many guests that day might have walked previous the 850CSi with out realizing its significance. However for BMW purists, it was the true star of the show — a automotive with Motorsport heritage, a novel drivetrain story, and paint that linked two generations throughout many years.
