• Won’t be a cheap car to run once you’ve bought it
• 840d the best one for running costs
• Petrols drink fuel quickly if driven hard

A range of powerful engines and a big body mean the 8 Series isn’t the kind of coupe you buy if you’re going to be watching the pennies.

If you do buy one and want it to be mildly manageable to run, we’d steer you in the direction of the 840d, claiming up to 39.8-40.4mpg on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions for this model range between 160g-164g/km, variable depending on the alloy wheels fitted.

Next is the 840i petrol, claiming up to 33.2-33.6mpg. It’s an engine that requires little effort to get going in other BMW models, so it shouldn’t be unrealistic to get close to this claimed figure. CO2 emissions range between 164 and 167g/km.

Unsurprisingly the M850i xDrive is a juicier option to these two, with just 24.8-25.2mpg claimed, but it won’t take much at all to get below 20mpg if you put the car in Sport mode on a regular basis. CO2 emissions are rated at 224-227g/km.

The M8 Competition is quoted to achieve a slightly higher 25.4mpg, with CO2 emissions of 238-242g/km. As an indication of a worst-case scenario figure, we saw an indicated 12.6mpg after a hard day’s driving during our time of testing.

Fuel tank capacity of 68 litres means this won’t see over 400 miles per fill-up even if you get close to the official figures. As a result, the MPP figure for this model sits along the bottom of the range at 3.6 - 3.7.

Is it reliable?

• No recalls for the 8 Series
• Feels to be a high-quality car
• Three-year warranty covers you

The 8 Series debuted some new interior tech that quickly spread through the rest of the BMW range, and early cars we experienced did have some niggles. Not many, but some. The Apple CarPlay connection was the biggest source of frustration, being difficult to connect in the first place and intermittent in its connection for the rest of the time. Things seem to have improved in newer models like the 3 Series though.

Otherwise, the 8 Series uses mechanical parts found in many other models, and the firm has a reputation for building cars that can be relied on.

If anything does go wrong in the early days of ownership, the 8 Series is covered by a three-year, unlimited-mile warranty.