European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 3, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday May 3, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13luxurious, Low Slung and fast car Corner by we a new 850i Coupe bows in the new Bow 850i, a 12-Cylinder luxury sports Coupe that arrives on the German Market this month and on . Shores this autumn embodies engineering performance and styling at the absolute top level. An elegant Low Slung machine that is immediately identifiable As a Bow the rear wheel drive 850i continues the Bow Coupe tradition into the 1990s, replacing the already classic 6-series. The much heralded new Coupe is Well known to car buffs by now. It debuted last fall at the International Frankfurt Auto show and then enjoyed stardom at the recent Geneva Auto Salon. The 850i is now being shown to the International press and in its introductory statements Bow says a the Bow 850i has a Charisma of its own. It is the first of a new series it is packed with technical innovations it optimizes All the aspects of the latest automobile technology and epitomizes the highest demands made on a car of this after driving the 850i, we would say this statement puts everything in the proper perspective. At the press preview we had lengthy drives in both the Standard automatic transmission 850i Coupe and the Coupe with the optional six Speed manual transmission. We encountered All types of weather and roads a from Bone dry and fast autobahn to wiggly and awash two Lan ers. The Rains were sporadic so various conditions prevailed. But even in downpours the 850i was a pleasure to drive because of its Superb Road holding abilities and predictable response. Braking in the wet was also outstanding. With the 4-Speed automatic As Standard the majority of buyers will go in that direction its a big Market but the 6-Speed transmission in our opinion would be the Best Way to travel. With the 6-Speed, the 850i really comes into its own. In fact it feels quite a different car from the automatic version. The automatic takes care of the a luxury Coupe faction while the six Speed transforms the 850i into a sports machine with which one can truly relate. The 6-Speed Gearbox is surprisingly easy to become accustomed to with the final throw straight Down from where the fifth Speed Slot is located on a Normal five Speed pattern. With the manual Gearbox the big Coupe zips from Zero to 100 Kph 62.5 Mph in just under seven seconds. Going through the gears redline is 5,800 rpm one hits 40 Mph in first gear 68 Mph in second 93 in third 124 in fourth 145 in fifth and 155 Mph in sixth. With the 5-liter, 300-horsepower, v-12 engine the top Speed would probably come in at 175 Mph or so but an electronic cutoff stops the fun at 155. This Cut off is the same As that dialled into the big Bow 750i/il Sedan which uses the same 12-Cylinder engine and automatic transmission. The 155 Mph cutoff is obviously considered a Good idea by Bow but if one can afford a car like this knows How to drive it and wants maximum performance Why not have that performance its ail debatable. The 850i, whose design was completed in 1986 work started in 1983was finished at by we a new research and development Center in Munich where officials stressed the 850i coupes technical highlights and aerodynamics to the press. The body itself had an extremely Low drag coefficient of 0.26, whereas the i Overall figure is 0.29 due to wider tires engine Width and rear View mirrors. The pop up headlights Are kept Low to present less drag. With such emphasis on aerodynamics the stylists were Able to create a Graceful wedge shaped body that is destined to become a classic. Low Long and wide a the new Bow 850i Coupe. Pop up lights stay Low to Aid aerodynamics. Ibishi integrated bumpers no damage up to 4 Mph. Wedge shape styling drag co efficient is Low 0.29 on the Road the 850i was extremely quiet As one would expect in a luxury automobile and the ride Over rough surfaces was smooth yet supportive. In fact the car gives such an impression of solidity and silence that it dials out some of the Elan normally associated with performance cars. Regarding the construction and development of the body by we a Wilfried Ball said that the 850i presented the fewest problems of any Bow he has been involved with. Director of body development Ball said that the 12-Cylinder 750i Sedan helped pave the Way because of similarity in powertrain equipment. The fact that the 850i followed the 750i within a period of two years also simplified matters. A there were really no special problems with the 850i,�?� Ball said. Many engineering innovations too numerous to list Here have been created especially for the new 850i Coupe. Among the most important Are a new a Wintre Graly rear Axle suspension system with automatic self steering correctional ability an electronic Shock absorber control system optional automatic stability control plus traction Acta a a multiplex system that reduces and simplifies the electrical wiring Seatbelt that fit automatically regardless of a persons size and a Complete Driver information system. One of the optional features we especially liked involved the steering wheel which is infinitely adjustable electronically. At the touch of a lever it goes up Down in or out. Combined with the a seat memory a which memorizes the seat and external rear View Mirror positions the selected steering wheel positions can also be stored. When leaving the car the wheel automatically rises when you turn off the ignition. Upon re entering the car the steering wheel returns to its proper position when you switch on the ignition a really neat. The seating is perfection and the Driver is surrounded by an extremely Modem harmonious and highly functional a cockpit layout with All instruments and levers exactly where you want them. The positioning of the gear shift lever in both the manual and automatic versions also helps make life easy behind the wheel. The Bow 850i coup6 is a 22 by definition but the limited seating in Back would be reserved for two Small children or an adult taking a hop across town. The car does have a surprisingly Large trunk however. Our Gas mileage figure for the 6-Spccd came to 13.8 Miles per gallon on the computer readout but in the United states it would come to about 18 or even 19 mpg if the top Speed is limited to the Legal 55 or 65 Mph. While the 850i Coupe will sell big in the states it would be an exercise in frustration to have All that Power and not be Able to use it. With the Bow 750i/il Sedan maybe you could live with it but the 850i Coupe begs to be driven and 65 Mph or so is not our idea of driving in a car like this one. The big fuel tank by the Way holds 90 liners 23.7 Gallons of unleaded gasoline. The base Price of the new 850i in West Germany is 135,000 Marks about $81,325this Price including the 14 percent German value added tax vat. The car will Cost $73,600 in the states and about $60,000 on the military Market see Story below. Regardless of Price Bow has no Remote worries about sales. The waiting list in West Germany runs through 1994, and demand in the states is also Randy Barnett Auto columnist new bows for the military Market while Bow plays a major role on both West German and world markets it is also giving increased attention to the american military Market in Western Europe. In discussing its 1990-91 Model year program Bow stresses the availability of three different Home shipment programs to various . Ports plus . Deliveries to dealers anywhere in the states. Bow has 20 drop off Points in Western Europe. The .-specification 1990 cars feature numerous detail improvements Bow says plus new options and an a across the boards airbag supplemental restraint system and anti lock braking system Abs. As the year progresses new 3-series and 5-series Bow models will be added to the current lineup the 1991 Model 525i getting a new Multi valve engine for example. At the end of the year it is expected that an entirely new 3-series Model will be introduced. Meanwhile the new 2-door 318is Model will be available starting this month with the military Price pegged at under $18,000, Bow says. Its 4-door counterpart the 318i, will arrive in september with a military Price of under $ 17,000. Bow says that its .-specification sequence will be Complete with the arrival of the 850i sports luxury Coupe late this summer. This will make a total of 15 .-specification Bow models powered by 4-, 6 and 12-Cylinder engines and spanning a Price Range from about $16,500 to $60,000, the firm says. All 1990-91 bows feature overhead camshaft engines with engine management systems for control of fuel injection and ignition. A
