Even though the original 8 Series Coupe had a lengthy production run of more than nine years, BMW only made 30,621 cars between 1990 and 1999. This 850i is exceptionally rare as it’s believed to be one of the only three right-hand-drive vehicles to be modified by Koenig Specials GmbH (better known as Koenig). The Munich-based aftermarket specialist made a name for itself in the 1980s and 1990s by customizing high-end vehicles, including various Ferrari and Mercedes models.
Officially known as the KS8, this car hadn’t seen the light of day in the last eight years. It recently changed hands as YouTuber Sira Car Collector made a trip to Germany to buy the neglected sports coupe and bring it back to London. There are conflicting reports about who originally owned the modified 8er, with some saying it belonged to a Polish gangster while others claim there was a second E31 by Koenig registered in the country.
Unfortunately, the car had been left for dead and is currently in non-running condition. It had to be towed from Cologne to London on the back of a trailer pulled by a Mercedes-AMG G63. Being an 850i, the widebody 8 Series Coupe has a mighty V12 engine, so it’s definitely a car worth rescuing. The body seems to be mostly intact and should look as good as new after paint correction and polishing.
The first order of business will be to get it in working condition again before freshening up the body and interior near the end of the year or early 2024. Originally registered in October 1991, the car has about 98,000 kilometers (nearly 61,000 miles) on the clock. Being an early E31, it uses the “M70” naturally aspirated 5.0-liter engine rather than the bigger “M73” 5.4-liter mill of the later cars. The M70 originally made just under 300 horsepower but Koenig took it to 450 hp by supercharging the V12.
Source: Sira Car Collector / YouTube, M635 BMW / YouTube
