Used BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe for sale: everything you need to know

The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe might make the most sense out of any BMW 8 Series. You lose little in the styling department to the coupe and convertible models, but gain four-door practicality and much more rear-seat room than the oddly cramped coupe.

It’s otherwise very similar, from the driving experience to the engines and trim levels available, and still feels special as a result. It’s no sports car, but it makes for a fine grand tourer - and one that’s a lot more affordable when you buy used.

The Gran Coupe goes head-to-head with cars like the Audi A7 Sportback, Mercedes-Benz CLS (and the AMG GT 4 Door), and the Porsche Panamera. Each car has its own strengths and unique style, so there are no bad choices in this little corner of the market.

Should you buy a BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe?

If you like the idea of a BMW 8 Series but fear the two-door layout and cramped rear quarters might limit its usability, then the 8 Series Gran Coupe could be the car to fix that. It adds an extra pair of doors and liberates a little more room for rear-seat passengers, however occasional they might be, but still looks like a sophisticated grand tourer.

It still drives like one too - from behind the wheel, you’d struggle to know there was more space behind you. The interior layout is grand, well-built, and driver-focused, and the driving position low-slung and comfortable. There really is more space in the back too - it’s no 7 Series, nor even 5 Series in this respect, but it’s more accommodating than the two-door car.

Engine choice is the same, which means six-cylinder petrol and diesels depending on the year, a V8 petrol in the form of the M850i, and an M8 at the top of the range. The sixes suit the 8 Series down to the ground though - they’re smooth and respectably frugal, and still have a real turn of pace.

The 8 Series isn’t quite a sports car to drive, but it’s impressively able for its weight and size - at five metres long, it’s up there with luxury saloons in length. It has luxury car-style refinement too, though remember it will also come with luxury car running costs.

Potential alternatives to the 8 Series Gran Coupe include the Audi A7 Sportback, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and Porsche Panamera. Each is more spacious than the 8 Series Gran Coupe, but the BMW’s driving experience is slightly sharper than the Audi and Mercedes, if not quite the Porsche.

A BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe not for you? We've got 1000s of used cars for sale to suit all budgets and needs.

What’s the best used BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe model to buy?

Both six-cylinder models are the ones to pick here. The 840d suits the 8 Series Gran Coupe’s grand-touring brief perfectly, being powerful, smooth, and returning impressive economy figures, though the rear-wheel drive 840i sDrive is probably the sweet spot as a driving machine - the engine is more tuneful than the M850i’s V8 and it feels a little nimbler too, with less weight to lug around. M Sport trim is standard across the range, but BMW offers numerous options and packages, so some used models may be better equipped than others.

Used BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe fuel economy and performance

• BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe 840i sDrive: The petrol Gran Coupe uses a 3-litre turbocharged inline six and sends 340PS to the rear wheels, for 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds. Combined economy is up to 33.2mpg.
• BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe 840d xDrive: With a diesel 3-litre inline six, power is 320PS and all-wheel drive is standard, helping it to a slightly quicker 0-62mph time than the petrol, at 5.1 seconds. Economy jumps to 39.8mpg.
• BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe M850i xDrive: In M850i form a petrol turbocharged V8 doles out 530PS to all four wheels, resulting in 3.9 seconds to 62mph. Economy is 24.6mpg.

What used BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe trim levels are available?

All Gran Coupe models come in a variation of M Sport trim, with the M850i matching them for equipment but adding a few unique touches. The equipment listed below pertains to the latest 8 Series Gran Coupe models so older versions may not have one or two features below, but as BMW’s flagship coupe, all 8 Series are well-equipped.

• The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe M Sport gets 20-inch alloy wheels, an M aerodynamics package, adaptive LED headlights, an Iconic Glow illuminated kidney grille, automatic tailgate, digital driver and infotainment displays and a head-up display, Merino leather trim, heated front seats, Harman Kardon audio, four-zone climate control, ambient lighting, adaptive suspension, M Sport brakes, and cruise control with a brake function.
• The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe M850i features largely the same equipment as M Sport models, but can be distinguished by a different 20-inch wheel design and a dark gloss exterior details package.

Used BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe dimensions and boot size

The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe’s dimensions are:

• Length: 5082mm
• Width: 1932mm (without mirrors), 2137mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1407mm

The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe’s boot size is:

• 440 litres

Used BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe road tax

All versions are subject to a flat rate of VED, plus a surcharge for costing more than £40,000 new. That puts your annual tax bill at £570 per year, though this will drop to a lower rate from the car’s seventh year on the road.

How much is it to insure a BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe?

An 840i sDrive kicks off the range with an insurance group rating of 44, and it only climbs from there - the 840d xDrive is in group 47 and the M850i xDrive in group 49, out of a maximum 50. That starting point is higher than the group 40 of an Audi A7, but lower than the group 49 of both the Mercedes CLS and Porsche Panamera.

Read our full BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe review