Page 45 - OctSam2019

AUTO REVIEW

The 2019 bMW M850i convertible is an impressive car that will
get you where you’re going quickly and in style, but it’s not for
everyone. While it’s an exaggeration to say that only well-heeled
singles, dINKs, and empty nesters need apply, it’s not far from
the truth.
For starters, bMW’s flagship car is a two-plus-two with a cabin
that should really only be inhabited by one or two people. The
rear seats are located extremely close to the front ones and there-
fore have very little leg room, so it’s not wrong to consider them
bilateral briefcase holders (headroom back there is also poor, by
the way.) Still, the rear seats are as sumptuous as the front ones, All 850is come with the excellent and ubiquitous 8-speed auto-
which means your briefcase or groceries get to sit on the same matic transmission sourced from German supplier ZF. If you drive
high quality leather as you do, a fact I find quite amusing, actually. a fairly new car, SUv, or crossover, and it has an 8-speed transmis-
And the bMW M850i is as over-engined as it is under-passenger sion, it’s very likely to be from ZF. be grateful that you have it.
spaced. Using a 523HP version of the 4.4l twin turbo v8 that One qualm I have with the driving experience is common to
propels the portly X7 SUv, the M850i can zip from 0–60 MPH many modern cars, though not most SUvs and crossovers: rela-
in just 3.6 seconds. This is a fast car. tively poor visibility. I blame high door sills that make you feel as
The M850i’s exterior design is well done and should appeal to though you’re sitting in a bathtub as well as a relatively tall hood
its target demographic. Substantial and very “Grand Touring” is that makes the road seem far away. both of those realities are due
how I’d describe the styling. The profile flows nicely, the rear looks to more stringent safety regulations: high sills protect passengers
contemporary and chic, and the front has visual heft. I’ve criticized in case of a collision, while the tall hood mitigates injuries to
various bMW designs in the past as having too many trees and pedestrians in case you hit them. Safety is a good thing, of course,
not enough forest, and I’ve given demerits to the 7-series for lack- and these particular changes are common to all manufacturers not
ing gravitas. but none of those negatives apply to the M850i, just bMW, but they subtract from the joy of driving.
which manages to look cohesive, sporty, and expensive all at the In case you’re curious – and I can’t imagine many M850i buyers
same time. Thankfully, adding a cloth convertible top doesn’t sub- will be – fuel economy for bMW’s nicest grand tourer comes in
tract from the appeal of the M850i’s styling. In fact, you could at 16 MPG City and 25 Highway. The price is just over $122,000
argue that the convertible looks better than the coupe. to start, and there are many option packages and other extras,
As alluded to above, the interior of the M850i, while being al- which can increase that number significantly. As always, call Phil
most impossibly tight for rear passengers, is a very nice place to Hornbeak at bCMS headquarters to get your best deal on a bMW
be. All of the materials look and feel rich, and, despite my best M850i or any other vehicle you’re interested in.
efforts, I didn’t find any sub-par plasticky areas. The 2019 bMW M850i convertible is a wonderful grand tourer
Still, it’s the tech you notice most when driving the M850i. bMW designed to carry one or two individuals quickly and comfortably
gauges used to have white numbers and needles over a black back- either over vast distances or just out to dinner. It’s not a car for
ground with orange backlighting. No more. Now everything’s virtual everybody, but if you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford it,
and configurable, and located on a screen right in front of the driver. and you don’t need to transport kids to soccer practice or wher-
The curmudgeon in me wants to not like this change, but I do. vis- ever, this is a bMW you’ll be happy to own.
ibility and, critically, the imparting of important information, are sig-
nificantly enhanced, which is really all that matters. To get your best deal on a new bMW, call Phil Hornbeak at
driving the M850i is a treat, mostly because of the muscular bCMS at 210-301-4367.
engine described above, but also because of a very well sorted
chassis. The ride is a little rougher than I’d like, but the handling Stephen Schutz, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterolo-
is first rate, especially on high speed b-roads and open highways. gist who lived in San Antonio in the 1990s when he was
Nevertheless, the overwhelming sense you get when driving this stationed here in the U.S. Air Force. He has been writing
car is that it’s fast. like very fast in all conditions at all times. auto reviews for San Antonio Medicine since 1995.

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