BMW 840I vs BMW 440I

What's the difference?

Phwoar. Mate!

Or should I say, M-eight-fifty-I. That’s right. This is the all-new, 2020 BMW M850i Gran Coupe, the first ever example of its kind. It’s a big, long, luxury, sporty, coupey thing. And it’s gorgeous.

The BMW 8 Series 2020 range includes this new Gran Coupe body style, and also the Coupe and Convertible models. This particular model, the M850i xDrive Gran Coupe, is essentially BMW’s answer to, say, the Audi RS7. Or one of the many Porsche Panamera variants. Or the Mercedes-Benz CLS or Mercedes-AMG GT 4 door Coupe. 

Like those cars it has svelte looks, striking dimensions and a sledgehammer engine under its long, shapely bonnet. This is first ever 8 Series Gran Coupe, as it essentially stands in place of the existing, now defunct, 6 Series Gran Coupe. But it’s bolder, bigger and more brutal - just take note: this isn’t a full-scale ‘M8’ Gran Coupe. It has more of a luxury speed cruiser angle to it, arguably like a Mercedes-AMG CLS 53, not the full-fat AMG 63.

The question is, then, should you buy it over one of its established rivals?

Let’s figure it out together, shall we?

Life comes at you fast, especially in the automotive industry, where model lifecycles are becoming shorter as each new generation comes and goes.

Take the BMW 4 Series for instance. It’s been a segment stalwart since 2013, but the current model’s time in the sun is finally coming to an end a little later this year.

And that got us thinking whether or not the old saying rings true in this context. So, we put the flagship 440i coupe to test to find out if the older you get, the wiser you are.