A lot of people don’t like big two-door cars anymore, as evidenced by the fact that they’re rapidly disappearing from dealer lots. But that’s a shame, because cars like this are beautiful and amazing.
Car: 2020 BMW 840i
Location: Downtown Los Angeles, CA
Photog: Peter Nelson (Instagram + Twitter: @16vPete)
Camera: Canon 6D Mark + EF 50mm 1.8II AF
The market for big luxury coupes is awfully small, and I think that’s a real shame. They’re kind of the best of many worlds for a lot of well-heeled drivers: comfortable, stylish, opulent, and fast.
Plus, in the case of BMW’s 840i, it’s equipped with their B58 turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, which allows it to achieve pretty good gas mileage without sacrificing performance too hard. Despite its big, wide body, it’ll still sprint to 60 mph in just over 4.5 seconds.
It doesn’t seem like higher-income earners are really after the likes of a well-optioned 8 Series or Mercedes E-Class these days. The way people like to portray wealth has swung more towards fast SUVs and well-optioned Teslas. People want utility and ease of use, and for some reason spacious SUVs are the first choices that come to mind. Though, unbeknownst to many, the 840i is actually quite easy to live with; it has a tiny turning radius for its size thanks to its four-wheel steering, is easy to get in and out of, and has a pretty massive expandable trunk.
While it’s a bummer people aren’t buying big coupes anymore, it’s also sort of a plus: those that have moved off of dealer lots thus far in the US market will depreciate even faster, making for some solid deals down the road. Kind of like what’s happened to the pre-cursor to the newer 840i, the 640i.
