When I purchased this car I was trading in the tesla model X. I found myself never wanting to drive that car. When I had > 2 people with me, we would just taken an Uber. I purchased this BMW to replace the telsa model X as my daily.
I was between the M5 Convertible, M850i Convertible, and the M8 Comp Convertible due to their comfort. The M5 was too stiff for me. Less comfortable as a daily than the McLaren 720s.
After hearing about the tuning headroom of the M850i and test driving both the M850 & M8, I realized I actually preferred the M850 which was more comfortable and easier to drive in garages and turn due to it's 4 wheel steering which the M8 lacked. The M8 was undrivable in garages due to it's long wheelbase and 2 wheel steering. The M8 Comp really didn't make any sense to me. Slower than a tuned stock (m850), and both cars were so heavy that neither would do much on a race track (both weighing more than most SUVs).
I also found a 2019 M850i (2 years old) Convertible which was certified pre-owned at BMW Beverly Hills with 3,000 miles on it for only $60,000 (sticker price was $120,000). It was during the period when everyone wanted only electric cars so I got rid of my electric car and got a gas car. This car also came off of a lease during covid lockdowns so it was hardly driven.
2019 was the model year I was the most interested in (even though it was 3 years old) because it was the last year the ECU could be unlocked & tuned. It was too good to be true, so I dove on the offer. BMW has also still not updated the car since 2019 (the 2024 model is the exact same car aside from a software update).
AWD convertible with 4 seats, a full sized trunk (rare for a convertible), over 800HP at the crank, and 800 ft-lbs of torque on pump gas (trusting bootmod3 on that, this car has never seen a dyno).
This car is my daily and has a stock engine with downpipes, a cold air intake (routed to the OEM front bumper turbo inlets), a Bootmod3 Stage 3 tune with map switching, a valved exhaust, stickier tires, and I decided to powder coat the stock wheels/rims to be black.
While a monster of power & torque, this car weighs far more than most SUVs. A luxurious 4,691 lbs. This car is an incredibly comfortable and fun GT car, but not a race car. It enjoys the beautiful PCH & Malibu Canyon roads nearly every week, but will likely never see a race track.
With the push of a button the car is completely silent (you can't hear a thing thanks to its valved exhaust). Another button press and the roar of the twin-turbo V8 comes to life. Perfectly silent, stable, & comfortable at 110MPH with the convertible top down, I can't imagine a better convertible as a daily driver.
Even though this car is super long (as long as my F1 car), it is incredibly easy to drive due to it's 4 wheel steering. AWD makes it easy to get the torque down. A full sized trunk for trips which is rare in a convertible (and I am always traveling), more comfortable than any BMW SUV, and it can be made as quiet as an electric car with the push of a button (Y pipe).
It is also quicker on the street than a Dual Motor Model S (can confirm), but slower than a model S plaid to 120mph.
