Car Review: 2022 BMW M850i xDrive Cabrio

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There is something special about driving a sports car with the convertible top folded down. When the roof is up it’s just another car; switch to Cabrio mode and the world opens to deliver a totally different driving experience. So it is with the BMW M850i xDrive — in this case it takes 15 seconds to get topless, and it can be done at speeds of up to 50 kilometres an hour.

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When the top is powered down, wind is a non-issue when the windows are up and the wind deflector is in place. The latter does a good job of quelling the blustery backwash that sees the rider’s hair blow forward. The problem is when installed, it blocks the rear seat. This is less of an issue here, as the M850i Cabrio is a 2+2 where the rear seat is tight. Legroom is limited and, with the top up, headroom is at a premium, although a grateful rider did say it beats walking in the rain!

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The rest of the cabin is class all the way. The fully articulated front seats are comfortable and feature seat-mounted neck warmers (part of the Premium pack). They add some needed warmth and coziness when out enjoying a fall evening cruise. Ahead of the driver, the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and head-up display combine to deliver the important information in a clean and concise manner. To the right, the 10.3-inch multimedia touchscreen responds quickly to inputs. However, on the road, the iDrive controller or “Hey BMW” assistant proved to be the better way to access or change a function. What impressed me was the fact the assistant functioned properly even when driving at highway speeds with the soft top down.

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The disappointments are the aforementioned tight rear seat and the 351-litres of cargo space. It sounds like an acceptable number, but the trunk’s odd shape means you have to pack wisely when heading out for a weekend away.

Power comes from a silky 4.4L twin-turbo V8 that makes 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque between 1,800 and 4,400 rpm. More importantly, when the top is down it sings a glorious song through the quad pipes — the crackling pops during overrun in Sport mode is sublime.

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The engine works with an eight-speed automatic to drive all four wheels. The latter is completely seamless as it shuttles the power around to the wheels that can put the power to the best use. Even when matted at the apex of a corner, the xDrive just seems to bite harder.

Of course, the real sweetness is found in the numbers. The wide, meaty torque plateau means the M850i responds instantly to a healthy stab at the gas. It runs from rest to 100 kilometres an hour in a tick under four seconds. That’s good, but it really catches fire through the mid-range — the 80-120 km/h passing move comes in at 2.8 seconds!

The M850i fairs equally well in terms of the manner in which it blends ride comfort with cornering ability. It starts with the adaptive suspension and runs through the M Sport rear differential and active steering. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels, which shortens the turning circle and eases the parking chore. When the speeds are elevated, the rear steer points the wheels in the same direction as the front wheels. This improves the response to input and adds to the sense of stability. It also helps to mask the M850i’s full-bodied size — it is a big car, but it has a mid-sized feel to the way it dives into a corner.

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What separates the good from the bad in the convertible world is cowl shake. The easiest way of understanding this phenomenon is to look at a shoe box. With the lid in place the box has surprising torsional strength; take the lid off and it has the structural integrity of a soggy noodle. So it is with a car. Removing the second largest panel hurts the structural integrity. Yes, extra bracing and structural supports help replace the strength, but if it’s not done properly the body shakes and shimmies like a crazed go-go dancer when running a rutted corner. In this case, cowl shake in a non-issue. The result is a drive that has grand touring comfort about town, yet on a twisty backroad it’s nimble when heading into a corner and planted as it hauls out after clipping the apex.

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Where things do get complicated is the drive modes. There are Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Adaptive, but within each there are choices. For example, in Sport there are Standard and Plus settings along with an individual mode that allows the driver to tweak the suspension, steering, engine and transmission separately. Frankly, adopting a back-to-basics approach would suffice — Comfort for the city and Sport Plus for the fun times.

The BMW M850i xDrive has a sharp style and it’s very quick, but, more importantly, it manages to blur the line between a grand touring convertible and a drop-top sports car. It is a boulevardier when out for a sedate evening cruise; ramp everything up to hyper and its M side really shines brightly.