Beneath the Pacific breeze at Pebble Seaside, BMW quietly rolled out a bit of its hidden historical past. Subsequent to the spotlight-grabbing debut of the 2026 BMW M850i M Heritage Version stood a a lot rarer machine: a right-hand drive BMW 850CSi, painted in the identical vibrant Brilliant Crimson (referred to as Hellrot Uni in Germany). However this wasn’t simply any 850CSi — it was one in all solely seven examples ever constructed for the Japanese market on this configuration. To most passersby, it appeared like a BMW basic. However for many who know BMW historical past, this was a once-in-a-decade sighting — an icon that quietly bridged the hole between luxurious and Motorsport.
The BMW 850CSi: An M Automobile in All However Title
The BMW 8 Collection (E31) was at all times supposed to be greater than a successor to the unique 6 Collection. It was a technological leap, aimed on the grand touring elite, providing a selection between V8 and V12 engines, cutting-edge aerodynamics, and a futuristic driver interface. But it surely was the 850CSi, launched within the early Nineteen Nineties, that pushed the 8 Collection into really rarefied air.
Formally, BMW by no means gave it an “M” badge — however beneath, the 850CSi was a Motorsport product. The total manufacturing model used a 5.6-liter S70B56 V12, derived from the M70 however reengineered by BMW M, making 375 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. It got here solely with a 6-speed guide, stiffened suspension, faster steering, and four-wheel steering. Its VINs even started with “WBS,” the signature of each actual M automotive.
A Completely different Type of Uncommon: Japan’s M70-Powered RHD 850CSi
However the automotive at Pebble Seaside tells a barely totally different story. Whereas it wore 850CSi badging and most of the similar Motorsport tweaks, it was one in all a tiny handful of early-production right-hand drive 850CSis — simply seven models — constructed particularly for the Japanese market. And underneath the hood it additionally had the M70 5.0-liter V12, making 296 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 4-speed computerized transmission. That setup makes this automotive one of the vital uncommon members of the E31 household.
From 1992 to 1996, BMW constructed 1,510 850CSi fashions worldwide. Of these, simply 160 have been right-hand drive, and solely seven have been formally allotted for Japan with this configuration. It’s no exaggeration to name this one of many rarest BMWs ever constructed.
Manufacturing facility Luxurious, Nineteen Nineties Fashion
Like all high-end 8 Collection fashions, the Japanese-market 850CSi got here nicely geared up. It featured pop-up headlights, an influence sunroof, computerized local weather management, and a rear sunshade. The inside was trimmed in leather-based with power-adjustable, heated entrance seats, full with driver reminiscence capabilities — state-of-the-art consolation for its period. It additionally sat on the basic 16-inch alloy wheels of the time, tucked into an extended, low, and unmistakably ’90s coupe silhouette.
Echoes of Heritage in Brilliant Crimson
The choice to place this right-hand drive 850CSi beside the brand new 2026 BMW M850i M Heritage Version was no accident. The brand new automotive, restricted to simply 500 models globally, serves as a modern-day tribute to the unique 8 Collection. It’s supplied in 5 historic colours, together with the exact same Brilliant Crimson worn by the E31 at Pebble.
Whereas the M850i M Heritage Version is full of up to date luxuries — from its twin-turbo V8 to iDrive 7 and carbon roof — the design callback to the unique 8 Collection is unmistakable. Seeing each vehicles collectively supplied a strong visible throughline: BMW honoring not simply its previous, however a really particular, and really uncommon, chapter of it.
A Second Solely Pebble Seaside May Supply
Many guests that day could have walked previous the 850CSi with out realizing its significance. However for BMW purists, it was the true star of the show — a automotive with Motorsport heritage, a novel drivetrain story, and paint that linked two generations throughout many years.
