BMW 8 Series

Powertrain The turbocharged six-cylinder is silky smooth, but the V8 is a gem of an engine. It immediately delivers power in any driving condition, with no delay or hesitation. Drivers can adjust the engine and transmission to provide simply a comfortable cruise or an invigorating sprint down straight or curvy roads. The eight-speed automatic provides quick and responsive shifts.

All-weather convertible driving Even though we had this all-wheel-drive car during the waning days of autumn, many of us drove with the top down. It’s possible to lessen the fall chill by cranking up the front seat, armrest, and steering wheel heating elements. Our rented car also came with optional neck warmers; the front seats have built-in vents that blow warm air below the headrests onto the front passengers' necks. There is even a mesh windblocker that can be installed behind the front or rear passengers to minimize wind buffeting.

Drivers can drop the power soft top at the press of a button. The top can even be raised or lowered while driving, at speeds up to 31 mph. With the roof down, the exhaust sounds even more alive. When we finally did put the top up, we found that it was well insulated and kept road and wind noise at bay. Unlike most convertibles, the 8 Series is a quiet cruiser, although the Gran Coupe is the better choice for ultimate solitude.

Handling Even though the 8 is a large car, handling, particularly with the Gran Coupe, is quite sporty, diving into corners with enthusiasm. It even impressed when driven with gusto on our track. 

Seats The front seats are fantastically supportive. They feature multiple power adjustments, including four-way lumbar support. We wish all cars had seats that deliver this all-day comfort. The Gran Coupe’s backseat is decent, but nobody will be happy sitting in the middle position.

Interior details Fit and finish is excellent, living up to the car’s lofty price. We also liked the ambient lighting feature, which includes subtle cabin illumination around the door handles, vanity mirrors, and front footwell lights. Owners can choose among 11 light designs.

Our car also came with "Glass Controls," which, literally, include the transmission gear selector, volume control for the audio system, and iDrive controller all made from glass.

Controls The 8 Series comes with a new generation of iDrive with a digital instrument cluster, which we have used in the 3 Series sedan and X5 and X7 SUVs we’ve recently tested. The dashboard and center console is cluttered with a variety of buttons and controls. A few items are not immediately obvious, such as how to sync the temperature between driver and passengers. But ultimately the controls make sense and most functions prove to be a fingertip away once drivers get past the steep learning curve.

As with other BMWs, the gear selector takes some getting used to. There are also several ways of performing many of the tasks. Drivers can use the rotary dial that interacts with the center touch screen, or use BMW’s gesture control to, for instance, raise or lower the radio volume. However, this feature can be easily confused by other movements, such as removing or replacing a bottle in the cup holder.

Some common tasks can be used by the steering wheel control shortcuts, such as scrolling for the desired radio station, or a list of recent phone calls.

Ride comfort With the optional M Sport suspension on the Gran Coupe and low-profile summer tires, the ride is too tense and too stiff. We don't think that's befitting a $100,000 car, even if it has a sporty pretense. 

Not much storage The Gran Coupe’s trunk is rather small for such a big car, while the convertible’s trunk is downright tiny, like most of the genre’s.