[DeTomaso] Ferrari 360 maintenance costs-- NPC

[David_Bell at oxy.com]

More on the BMW850.....

I was lucky enough to own a '98 BMW850ci when I was living in Oman in 2008.  I was actually searching the Dubai online classified for a jeep to take dune bashing when I happened to notice the 850 for sale.  I bought the car from the original owner, an Irishman who after living in Dubai for 20 years was returning to Ireland, then imported it to Oman.

This 850 was an absolutely pristine, 40k mile vehicle and was a rare Platinum edition 850, which meant it had 850csi bodywork along with custom factory paint, a flawless soft leather interior, and a slew of expensive BMW upgrades.  And it was incredibly inexpensive - what was once a $120k car 10 years previous, I purchased for the US equivalent of about $15k.

I loved driving the 850, though it is definitely more of an autobahn GT than a super nimble sports car.  The V-12 was silky smooth and relatively quick (mine was a Middle East tweaked version with empty cat converter cans and also a significant HP bump) but it still got mid 20s mileage on the road.  It had electronic suspension control and when switched to 'sport' mode the 850 handled exceptionally well - tight and responsive (especially for a 4000 lb car).  The selectronic transmission had three modes, full auto, sport (enhanced shift points) and full manual slapstick.  The sport mode read my mind for shifting at exactly the right time and I left it there most of the time.  850s don't have a B-pillar so with the windows down and the big sunroof open, the driving experience was very close to a convertible - which fit in perfectly with the spectacular winter weather in Oman. And I would also comment that though the back seats were short on leg room (especially with long legged drivers), the rear seating comfort was exceptional.  Both my daughters (one teenager, one almost teenager) loved riding in back.

When they originally came out in the early 1990s, BMW850s had just about every kind of electronic gizmo that the electron nerds could imagine - ultra sonic back-up sensors, mirrors that auto shift downward when backing up, integrated security system, integrated mobile phone, headlights adjustable from inside the car, power memory seats, climate control settings that could ventilate the car when parked at a pre-set time, close/open all the windows and sunroof with the car remote, just to mention a few.  A lot of this stuff may be common now but was mostly unknown in an automobile in 1991.  Unfortunately, the once cutting edge electronic components are now the weak link on these cars, some of which are approaching 20 years of age.  And most BMW dealers don't have technicians experienced with 850s, so they are often worse than no help.  There are Pantera-like user forums that are very helpful if you're OK with do-it-yourself though.  I ended up completely rewiring both headlight buckets at one point because of disintegrating plastic insulation around the wires, just at the point where a major electrical short was imminent.  The 'tilt' alarm function, designed to keep the wheels/tires from getting stolen, glitched out and would embarrassingly set off the car alarm at completely random times (I finally figured out what the problems was and simply unplugged the sensor).  Each bank of the V-12 is actually controlled independently (two separate ecus, two throttle bodies, two ignition systems, etc.).  While this system adds complication, a side benefit is that one 6-cyl bank can run in 'limp home' mode' even if the other half dies.  I had to disconnect both batteries for an hour once to clear a false 'limp home' situation - it ran fine after that and it never happened again. Who knows why??? But with only half of the V-12 running, I was still able to drive the car the 20 miles home to work on it.

Still, I loved that car.  I would have brought it back to the US when I returned but as it turned out since it was a 1998 BMW850, there were no US emissions or safety standards for it (the latest 850s in the US were 1997).  Importing to the US was virtually impossible.  I ended up selling it to another Oxy expat in Oman, who still has it.  If you're curious, I have some photos of the 850 on our family web site though: www.bellsinoman.com

I seriously considered another 850 once I returned to the US, except that I got spoiled by the condition and price of the Oman car.  For similar performance and condition in the US, your probably looking at a low milage 850csi.  A pristine 850csi runs in the $40k-$50k range - which is too rich for my blood.

Besides, I already have a really cool Pantera to drive (and work on).  I still need to get that set of Webers installed as a matter of fact.


Dave Bell



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That car is everything a Ferrari 550 Maranello is, except not quite as
quick.   They are speed-limited to 155 mph but would easily do more if the
limiter was removed, they handle well, are quiet, solid, well-built, comfortable,
and with the V-12 engine (the 850) they make all those delicious V-12
noises.   They carried a sticker price of $110-125K when new, which is why 850s
are pretty rare.   If you look at the numbers imported, it was only a few
hundred cars per year.

The 840s are almost as fast, with a much cheaper V8.   I think their
sticker was $35K less or something like that, when new?

Today, 850s are all over the place, from $10-35K, while 840s (which are
absolutely identical except for the engine) can be down as low as $6K.   As
long as they don't break, they're a bargain.   You'll never get more car for
less money than that.

Mike