I’ve just spent the week driving around in an immaculate 1997 BMW 840ci, and I have to wonder why this car was a failure. Well, I know why it was a failure. The V12 was a nose-heavy pig, and they didn’t get to their really sweet 4.4 liter V8 until the 1996 model year. And even when they did get to the 4.4 liter, Americans couldn’t get it with a manual transmission. Oh and there was the $72,000 price tag. So everybody went out and bought Porsche 911. Boy were they mistaken. More beyond the jump.

The 840ci was so far ahead of its time that it still romps a great driver like the new Jaguar XK8 — and that’s a benchmark GT car. Both share the classic GT proportions, with a long hood, short rear deck, and low profile. The upshot to the 8-Series is the huge greenhouse and lack of B-pillar. When you sit in a car like this, you can forgive the painfully early 1990s design language on the outside (pop up headlights!) because the visibility is so good. This is classic BMW, folks, and the 360′ views from inside the 8-Series reminds me of the glass walls of the 2002.

But it’s the driving experience that stands out, and it’s very much not the early 1990s car to drive. The steering is so precise, gives so much feedback, but without the onerous heavyweight or artificially light feeling of electric steering in today’s BMWs, like the 650i. The suspension, handling, and ride are all such a delight that it’s a wonder most newer cars don’t feel this good. It’s like meeting up with an old friend - everything falls into place with the 840ci, and while it’s totally bereft of the gadgets (both creature comforts and driving aids) that are de rigeur in modern expensive luxury cars, it’s just a fabulous vehicle to drive and ride in. It’s the same at 50 as it is at 100 miles an hour. The closest new car I can think of is the Aston Martin Vantage.

I’m especially keen on the drivetrain. The 4.4 liter V8 pumps out 282 horsepower, 310 torques, and runs like a champ. Unlike most of the new generation high horsepower V6 engines, which need to rev (I’m not counting something like BMW’s twin turbo I6), the V8 has a broad and very relaxed powerband. You get torque by the bucketful, and there’s absolutely never a feeling of breathlessness with this engine. It’s hooked up to a 5-speed automatic, which even in 1997 featured a manumatic mode that’s very good. It really can’t compare to the best of the modern manumatics like VW’s DSG, but it’s quick and most importantly, lets you lock it into gear. At 60 miles per hour in 3rd gear, the engine is just an animal. I just find myself desperately wishing it had a clutch and stick.

I’m so fond of cars like this 8-Series because they were, for the most part, the end of the road for luxury-performance cars that sold on comfort and great performance, rather than tech and huge wheels. I’d have absolutely no reservations about driving an 840ci every day, because while it looks vintage inside and out (we’re going back 4 BMW interior design generations), it’s better behind the wheel than most new cars.

[Special thanks to an anonymous owner in San Francisco for the use of his 840ci with an amazing 205,000 miles on the clock.]