One-of-400 2019 BMW M850i First Edition Auction Result Brings Us All a Sigh of Relief

Almost five years have passed since the 8 Series returned to the Bavarian automaker’s roster. The fans and prospective customers were boiling with anticipation. It was a momentous occasion, one that signaled a possible change in the marque’s strategy. But things didn’t go as planned. You see, this brand has a lot of fans around the world. Besides that, it created many collectors who love what the brand and its high-performance arm stood for back in the day. They know their stuff.

Unfortunately, the 8 Series (G15) wasn’t the competitor everyone thought it would be for the mighty and now-defunct S-Class Coupe. Mercedes-Benz stopped making the vehicle and its open-top sibling in 2021. Before introducing the all-new 8 Series, BMW axed the entire 6 Series lineup. So people quickly figured out that the new member of the Bavarian automaker’s family wasn’t the true pinnacle of the marque.

The 8 stood above the 7 Series in its roster, but that didn’t necessarily make it a true contender for the S-Class Coupe or Cabrio in people’s minds. Moreover, let’s not forget that the 6 Series was perceived by many as a “fancier 5 Series” while the Mercedes-Benz rival was often described as being joined at the hip with the luxurious S-Class.

It’s not looking good

So, what people thought happened was that the 8 Series came as a replacement for the 6 Series, a spiritual successor so to say. It debuted cooler technologies and brought a couple of improvements and stylish changes. But what it mostly did was that it introduced major price hikes. For example, the 2019 BMW M850i Coupe had an MSRP of around $112,000, while the 2018 BMW 650i Coupe’s price started from approximately $89,000. That may be why even some dealers expressed their concerns about the new vehicle around three years ago. They claimed it wasn’t selling too well and the 8’s day supply was the highest of any BMW unit.

Making it in coupe, gran coupe, and cabriolet forms also did not help much because that’s exactly what the 6 Series lineup looked like.

At the time, many people were also not very convinced about the looks of the new vehicle. They claimed the 6 Series had a timeless design, while the newcomer tried to be too in your face. Only if they knew what was going to come from BMW later throughout the years…

But don’t think the carmaker didn’t know all these things. Around a year ago, a rumor said that the marque might be planning to end the 4 Series and the 8 Series production in 2025. Their replacement? The all-new 2026 BMW 6 Series!

The market will always decide

With all that being said, I must add that I don’t agree with how this whole situation turned out. I drove all the BMW 8 Series models. I won’t do a review in this piece, but I will say this – all three vehicles felt incredibly nice to drive and nothing bothered me about these luxurious cars. The only exception was the Gran Coupe model which felt a little bit cramped in the rear. But the V8-powered M850i xDrive Cabriolet was the one that truly surprised me. I’ll never forget that by driving in Eco Pro mode and avoiding highways, I managed to average around 38.5 mpg (6.1 l/100 km).

But let’s get back to the star of this story which is an all-wheel-drive 2019 BMW M850i First Edition. Only 400 were made for the entire world. The UK received 10 units, the U.S. 50, and the rest were reserved for other markets.

One of the 50 models sent to the U.S. from Dingolfing, Germany, ended up on Bring a Trailer. It presented itself with 26,000 miles (41,843 kilometers) on the clock, a somewhat good-looking interior that showed signs of aging but no hints of replacements that might indicate an accident, and a couple of extra options.

When it was new, the vehicle cost $130,730. Now, we all know that luxury vehicles tend to lose a lot of value and do so in the first few years of ownership However, the past year thought us that this is not applicable any longer. Used car prices jumped to incredible levels. People ended up paying tens of thousands of dollars for vehicles like the now 22-year-old Ford Excursion.

New year, new prices

But 2023 started very differently. Tesla made an unprecedented move and dramatically slashed prices, which put the used car market on high alert. Overnight, people and platforms like CarMax or Carvana were forced to adjust their prices as well. Moreover, Ford followed suit and made some of its EVs a little bit more affordable.

The ripple effect caused some problems even for G-Class owners. Their used SUVs are getting cheaper every day, albeit the slowing economy might have to do something with this as well.

But a limited-edition used vehicle should still sell for more, right? Wrong. The BMW in question got away for less than half of its original value. The highest bidder paid only $61,500 for this one-of-400 two-door Bavarian unit. The first offer was $20,000 and the final price was achieved after another 22 bids were submitted. The potent powerplant, the carbon fiber roof, the matte paintjob, and the expensive Bowers&Wilkins sound system didn't help.

This is yet another sign that the used car market might be cooling of. As it looks, the downtrend doesn’t affect EVs only. However, we still have to be on the lookout. Developments regarding the chip shortage, inflation, and other supply chain issues might continue to be problematic for carmakers. Plus, dealers can be reluctant to have vehicles sit for long periods in their parking lots.

It’s slowly getting better for the average buyer out there, but we can’t be completely relieved yet. Can we heave a sigh of relief, though? For now, yes we can!