My FH5 Log: The 8 You Give

Since 1989, the BMW 8-Series has been the flagship grand tourer that feels right at home on the road and on the track. With two different generations present in Forza Horizon 5, it's time to have a quick dive with the 8er.

From the original E31 to the G15-spec revival in addition to the F92 BMW M8 range, the 8-Series is all about business and pleasure for the desired driver behind the wheel. With the right blend of luxury and performance, this German grand tourer does it all like a man in a suit and tie but with rubber shoes.

Just how different are these two generations of the 8er? Let's examine...

Beginning with the 850CSi, the one that I've obtained from the Horizon Creatives update as an overall prize, it was based on the 850i but the 5.0L V12 engine has been tweaked into a 5.6L V12 engine, producing 372 horsepower and 402lb-ft of torque. It can do 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 184mph. It's the only BMW model to have a V12 engine mated to a manual gearbox.

Now, let's move to the BMW M8 Competition Coupe, one of the game's DLC cars. It's basically the coupe version of the BMW M5 F90, meaning it still packs the same 4.4L V8 turbo engine and the 8-speed automatic. In its Competition spec, it produces 625PS of power and 750Nm of torque, sprinting through 0 to 100kph in up to 3.2 seconds and electronically limited to 250kph or with an optional extra where it can be raised to 305kph. Like the M5 F90, the M8 comes with an M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with M Dynamic mode that allows it to behave like a rear-wheel-drive car.

Now that we get to know about the two 8ers, it's time to find out how much the 8-Series has progressed from the original to the current model, and with that, I'm on the streets of Guanajuato, closed course, to proceed with this German experiment. Let's cue the tape.

And here are the results...

850CSi - 1m19.012s

M8 - 1m05.949s

Well, the evolution of the 8-Series from the E31 850CSi to the F92 M8 Competition took around 13 seconds from that to this. Guess BMW's wise to revive the 8-Series five years ago, albeit with mixed results.

From the V12-powered goodness of the 850CSi to the turbocharged V8 tango of the M8 Competition Coupe, the 8-Series really is business and pleasure at its own pace. Sadly, with some rumors saying it will be gone again, rest assured that I've given two generations of the 8er the best time of their lives, and looks like they've served their purpose before being erased by the times one more time, honest.

This is the 8 you give. Hope you've enjoyed driving both generations of the BMW 8er.

CASE CLOSED.