BMW 840i brings straight-6 power to the flagship coupe and convertible
The 840i trim brings the 8 Series' base price down, which is nice.
When BMW introduced the four-door 8 Series Gran Coupe, one trim level appeared that wasn't present on the 8 Series' two-door variants -- the 840i, powered by an inline-six gas engine. Many figured that BMW would just announce other 840i variants at a later date, and what do you know, today is that later date.
BMW on Wednesday announced two new trim levels for the BMW 8 Series Coupe and Convertible, 840i and 840i xDrive. Both receive their power from a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six gas engine, which produces 335 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 840i Coupe will reach 60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds, while 840i xDrive Coupes will do the same sprint in 4.4 seconds. The convertibles are a few tenths slower. When wearing all-season tires, the top speed is limited to 130 mph, but summer tires will extend that to 155 mph.
The 840i models lose only a bit of the aggression found on the sportier M850i and M8 variants. It's still a stunning coupe, with standard LED headlights and curves galore. The straight-six Bimmers wear two trapezoidal exhaust tips out back to help differentiate models. The convertible rocks a fabric soft top that can raise and lower in 15 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph. 840i xDrive models receive standard rear-wheel steering, but that's optional on the RWD 840i, which makes up for it by offering an M Sport differential that can't be had on the AWD variants.
The convertible looks just as sleek as the coupe.
There's plenty of kit inside still, despite the 840i models technically being a tier below their siblings. Keyless access, ambient lighting, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a head-up display, automatic emergency braking and BMW's latest iDrive infotainment system are all standard. Safety-minded folks can opt for a bevy of active and passive safety systems including active lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality.
Production for the 840i and 840i xDrive commences in July, same as all other 8 Series variants, with the cars going on sale in September. The 840i Coupe starts at $88,895 including destination, while the 840i xDrive Coupe brings the price up to $91,795. Dropping the top costs even more, with the 840i Convertible commanding $98,395 and the 840i xDrive Convertible at $101,295.
