I would own both versions. I'm in the process of getting a Euro one as well. I value and love both versions equally as much. I'd say both should be worth the same. They each have different qualities and beauties.
I bet most of you who belittle the US version have never owned or driven one yet you comment about it as if you've owned and driven 10 of them.
All my statements are based on real personal experiences.
Anyway. Time will show what'll happen to the values. I predict they will be worth the same over time.
Board Member of SoCalEights (Marketing, Web Development & Social Media), Vice President: BMWCCA/E31 Chapter, www.cartiologyfilms.com
Current E31s:
1997 BMW 840Ci Black on Beige. CSI 62, 107 and 16. Euro-CSi #892.
Client Represented E31s (Cartiology Films)
1994 BMW 850CSi #11 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #31 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #58 USA
93-850Ci - manual 6 speed. 97-850Ci - M73 Steptronic. 94-CSi 125, 95-CSi 162 Daytona Violet, CSi 198 White on Red
Past E31s:
1991 BMW 850i. Calypso Red on Beige Nappa and 1995 BMW 840Ci. Bright Red on Beige Nappa
1997 BMW 840Ci. Black On Black Nappa, but changed to Dakar Yellow on Black Nappa and 1994 BMW 850CSi #27. Red On light Silver.
1991 BMW 850i. Automatic. Red On Black and 1996 BMW 850Ci. Automatic. Midnight Blue on Gray.
1994 BMW 850CSi. Black On Blak #107, Black/Black 97-840. White/White CSi. Silver/Silver 97-840
I want a Euro spec CSi just for those nifty headlight sprayers!
Desecrator of all things Sacred
Board Member of SoCalEights (Marketing, Web Development & Social Media), Vice President: BMWCCA/E31 Chapter, www.cartiologyfilms.com
Current E31s:
1997 BMW 840Ci Black on Beige. CSI 62, 107 and 16. Euro-CSi #892.
Client Represented E31s (Cartiology Films)
1994 BMW 850CSi #11 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #31 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #58 USA
93-850Ci - manual 6 speed. 97-850Ci - M73 Steptronic. 94-CSi 125, 95-CSi 162 Daytona Violet, CSi 198 White on Red
Past E31s:
1991 BMW 850i. Calypso Red on Beige Nappa and 1995 BMW 840Ci. Bright Red on Beige Nappa
1997 BMW 840Ci. Black On Black Nappa, but changed to Dakar Yellow on Black Nappa and 1994 BMW 850CSi #27. Red On light Silver.
1991 BMW 850i. Automatic. Red On Black and 1996 BMW 850Ci. Automatic. Midnight Blue on Gray.
1994 BMW 850CSi. Black On Blak #107, Black/Black 97-840. White/White CSi. Silver/Silver 97-840
yep I might be influenced...
But it is the same with: is a manual worth more than an automatic (in general for classic cars)......or the otherway around....... (same base price)....... collectors tend to go for rare and original designed versions.
And if I thought a USA CSI would be a better investment I would have bought one years ago (at that time cheap and the USD had a favorable exchange rate).......I decided not to buy one.
Nothing to with is it better or not....... still an S70 powered manual shift car and still an 850 (love the design) and it is a CSI so will be worth money.
Agree: I drive them less...... will probably sell one anyway (one on the left) and the other one i keep (only csi in this color combi), just not enough time for both.
BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)
Nope - CSi springs were where I wanted to take the black one but never got around to it so I'm keeping those on the white one. If anything, I *might* one day do Bilsteins valved to HD (medium) like the black one. That was the optimal setup according to the math. But for now, she's staying just like she is.
Both are 100% stock and well maintained, drive the same.
My favourite: interior is new (really) special two tone leather and dark wood and original factory phone, liner 100% new, now on 17" alpina's but once I restored my 18" alpina set I will put these on (throwing stars I have as well). Maybe I put on an alpina hood (easy to swap back).
That's also why i like the USA CSI's..... interior is much "richer", my second one is a EURO SCI with luxury USA interior with sportseats and steering wheel, the other one (left) is black/black (a bit boring but very popular in europe !).
I have a full factory wood set (center, doors and dash in light wood) but never put it in the black/black one because it is not factory delivered that way, if i sell it it might be an option for the new owner, would make the car look much better.
BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)
Board Member of SoCalEights (Marketing, Web Development & Social Media), Vice President: BMWCCA/E31 Chapter, www.cartiologyfilms.com
Current E31s:
1997 BMW 840Ci Black on Beige. CSI 62, 107 and 16. Euro-CSi #892.
Client Represented E31s (Cartiology Films)
1994 BMW 850CSi #11 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #31 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #58 USA
93-850Ci - manual 6 speed. 97-850Ci - M73 Steptronic. 94-CSi 125, 95-CSi 162 Daytona Violet, CSi 198 White on Red
Past E31s:
1991 BMW 850i. Calypso Red on Beige Nappa and 1995 BMW 840Ci. Bright Red on Beige Nappa
1997 BMW 840Ci. Black On Black Nappa, but changed to Dakar Yellow on Black Nappa and 1994 BMW 850CSi #27. Red On light Silver.
1991 BMW 850i. Automatic. Red On Black and 1996 BMW 850Ci. Automatic. Midnight Blue on Gray.
1994 BMW 850CSi. Black On Blak #107, Black/Black 97-840. White/White CSi. Silver/Silver 97-840
Present day CSi values are quite subjective, being equally as dependent upon market conditions as they are on specification, mileage, condition and history, etc.
However the original pricing of these cars should have been a lot more clear-cut, and in my view buyers of the US-spec CSi got an extremely raw deal from the importers, considering all of the deleted items of equipment and a standard US specification which offered zero options (not unlike the NA-spec E28 M5 debacle).
Based upon the value of the deleted hardware alone, the US CSi should have been at least $US15k cheaper than its ECE counterpart at the time.
The cost of the AHK system itself was DM12,500 ($US9k), while the two oil coolers, big brakes, aero-mirrors, different lights and two-tone sports seats would not have been cheap items either.
So the 'ex-factory' cost of producing these cars was much lower than the Euro-spec CSi's, but the US importers managed to convince buyers that a few embellishments like wood trim, embossed door handles and an M-gear knob, somehow made up for this.
I'd like to drive a stock US-spec CSi some day to compare the performance, as it must be considerably lighter than the Euro version without all the aforementioned equipment installed.
Last edited by kiwiCSi; 09-13-2017 at 05:35 PM.
Current:
1994 E31 850CSi Sterlingsilber/Anthracite Buffalo
Previous:
1987 E28 M5 Delphin
1986 E23 M745iA Arctic Blue
1986 E24 635CSi Polaris
1976 E3 3.0 Si Arctic Blue
Dakar Yellow is one of my favourite E31 colours, and very rare in a CSi - there were only seven built, of which two were RHD and the remaining five examples were Euro LHD's.
One of the two yellow RHD CSi's is owned by a friend of mine here in NZ....very pretty car, although the jury's out on that rear spoiler.
Current:
1994 E31 850CSi Sterlingsilber/Anthracite Buffalo
Previous:
1987 E28 M5 Delphin
1986 E23 M745iA Arctic Blue
1986 E24 635CSi Polaris
1976 E3 3.0 Si Arctic Blue
Board Member of SoCalEights (Marketing, Web Development & Social Media), Vice President: BMWCCA/E31 Chapter, www.cartiologyfilms.com
Current E31s:
1997 BMW 840Ci Black on Beige. CSI 62, 107 and 16. Euro-CSi #892.
Client Represented E31s (Cartiology Films)
1994 BMW 850CSi #11 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #31 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #58 USA
93-850Ci - manual 6 speed. 97-850Ci - M73 Steptronic. 94-CSi 125, 95-CSi 162 Daytona Violet, CSi 198 White on Red
Past E31s:
1991 BMW 850i. Calypso Red on Beige Nappa and 1995 BMW 840Ci. Bright Red on Beige Nappa
1997 BMW 840Ci. Black On Black Nappa, but changed to Dakar Yellow on Black Nappa and 1994 BMW 850CSi #27. Red On light Silver.
1991 BMW 850i. Automatic. Red On Black and 1996 BMW 850Ci. Automatic. Midnight Blue on Gray.
1994 BMW 850CSi. Black On Blak #107, Black/Black 97-840. White/White CSi. Silver/Silver 97-840
BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)
White US Automatic on Catawiki:
https://auction.catawiki.com/kavels/...3-bmw-850-1991
It must be e31 week on Catawiki, four different ones up for auction here:
https://auction.catawiki.com/a/68353...ic-car-auction
840 on kata: "and this is a copy from the so-called Colorline series" --> not stock, the 850 is stock (list all the matching codes)
BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)
Are you sure?
I think they've merely used the word "copy" as a translation of the word "example", as in:
"In 1993, the car was delivered new in the Netherlands and this is a copy from the so-called Colorline series. Worldwide, only 233 copies were produced in this colour combination, with black/green leather seats."
As stated, there were definitely 233 E31's produced with Barbadosgrun + Colorline trim.
Current:
1994 E31 850CSi Sterlingsilber/Anthracite Buffalo
Previous:
1987 E28 M5 Delphin
1986 E23 M745iA Arctic Blue
1986 E24 635CSi Polaris
1976 E3 3.0 Si Arctic Blue
could be..... maybe just a wrong stranslation...... difficult to see on the pictures (if it is "painted" you can spot it easily: stiching is not painted if OEM).
Best is to ask for the options sheet for the car, should be on it as an option and they did not publish it......!?
BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)
Alipna 5.7 for sale.... but NO alpina interior ! (no price yet)
https://www.autoleitner.nl/nl/index/...onic-e31-kopen
BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)
That Alpina is really sweet. As far as price, we have a saying in America . . . "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." With only 46K KM (28.5K miles), I predict someone will snap it up only to put it in a high-end collection. I wonder if it will stay in the Netherlands?
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