In the past several years, BMW has filled the holes in its numerically named model line. The long-standing 3, 5 and 7 Series have been joined by the 1, 2, 4 and the reincarnated 6. At one point, there was even talk of a new flagship wearing the number 9.
You don’t have to be a math whiz to notice there’s a digit missing from those above. It has been since 1999 when BMW stopped manufacturing the 8 Series coupe.
Back in 1989, the automaker introduced the two-door at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It wasn’t messing around: it came straight out of the gate with 12-cylinder power. The 5-liter engine in the 850i made 300 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. That output was transmitted to the asphalt through a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic gearbox. “Automatic Stability Control plus Traction (ASC+T), speed-sensitive power steering and the Electronic Damper Control (EDC) system introduced as an option in spring 1990 were among the other details that helped give the BMW 8 Series its distinctive identity as a driving machine.”
Over the next decade, the V12 would grow in size to 1993’s 5.6-liter, 381-horsepower unit in the 850 CSi, and 1994’s 5.4-liter power plant with 326 hp for the 850 Ci. The V8-powered 840 Ci, displacing four liters and developing 286 hp, was also added in ’93.
To honor the 25th birthday of the 8 Series, enthusiastic owners of the luxury 2+2 from 8er.org and ClubE31 Worldwide Owners Group e.V. met in Germany. “The 260 participants from 20 countries began proceedings with a tour of BMW Plant Dingolfing, where the BMW 8 Series was produced from 1989 to 1999. The second highlight of the weekend was the gathering of club members and their cars at the BMW Museum and BMW ‘four-cylinder’ head office in Munich for a combined photo shoot.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
