In the May 2012 issue of CAR we outline the steps that locally-based automotive enthusiasts need to take to import their dream cars to South Africa – one particular success story is Martin Kotze and his BMW 850 CSi.
Martin, from Meyerton, Gauteng fits the description of an automotive aficionado to a tee. He’s owned, to name just a few examples but in no particular order: a first-generation BMW Z4 2,5i AT, BMW 330d and 330i (both E46-generation) and an M6, Alfa Romeo GT 3,2, as well as a Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG and SL55 AMG, but his pride and joy is a 1995 BMW 850 CSi.
Not many people may have seen or even heard of the much-lamented 8 Series’s M Division-developed CSi flagship, but that’s because it was never sold in South Africa… In fact, of the 1 510 examples of the 5,6-litre V12 machine to be produced, only 160 of them were right-hand drive models. What made the CSi model significant was that it was produced to counter criticism that the 8 Series grand tourer just wasn’t sporty enough.
So when it made its debut, with a price tag the equivalent of R1 million, the 850 CSi had a fettled S70 engine producing outputs of 280 kW and 550 N.m of torque. Some of the technical highlights include a six-speed manual gearbox (on a German V12!), adaptable active suspension, limited slip differential, stability and traction control and a hydraulically-controlled active rear-axle kinematics system (known by its German abbreviation AHK) that would turn the rear wheels in the same direction as the fronts in order to facilitate change of direction and weight shift during high-speed cornering.
Martin imported this CSi from the UK in 2010 and after a year and a half of owning the rare road machine, recounts “many smiles, photos and invoices”.
“I wanted her because I’ve hankered for an 8 Series since I was a school kid. She’s got a fuller figure and is out of the ordinary, but she’s the most sporty looking, fast sounding, comfortable GT that I could ever want,” says Martin.
“Since I drove the 850 out of its container in Durban harbour I’ve spent more than R100 000 on her, not because she was a lemon, never maintained or even abused in the slightest. Aftermarket parts for the 8 Series are in short supply and if you can source them, they tend to be pricey.
“Then again, I’m fastidious about keeping her in the best condition that a 17-year old car of her pedigree can be. I could’ve spent none of that money on her and she would still be driving the same way as she was when she came out of that container. However, because I want to keep her forever and keep her value up, I guess I’ve made a whip for my own back,” Martin added.
To his credit, Martin’s done most of the “mechanical wrenching” on his CSi himself. Due to the fact that only a handful of first-generation 850i models were sold through the national BMW dealer network back in 1991, very few workshops now have any knowledge of the 8 Series, let alone the very rare CSi version – and some have actually refused to work on Martin’s car.
“That was probably a good thing because it forced me to learn everything I could about my Bavarian beast and subsequently I have saved a heap of money doing the work myself,” he says.
“There is also a big online 8er community at www.bimmerforums.com and I have found invaluable information on that site. The glut of information on the ‘net is astounding: After finding the entire BMW workshop manual for the E31 (8 Series) on the web, I happened to be at my local BMW dealership the next day and had hoped to run some of the information I read on the procedures for changing suspension bushes past the workshop manager.
“He tried looking it up on the BMW information system at his disposal, but couldn’t find anything. It’s an anomaly… The workshop’s system contains information on all the BMWs current and past, yet nothing on the E31. When I showed him where I found the information on the Internet, he was amazed to see the entire service manual in all its glory,” Martin added.
To drive, the 850 CSi is an effortless road-devourer that belies its age. The starter motor of the old school normally-aspirated V12 emits a high-pitched squeal and the motor bursts into life with a barrel-chested rumble. The motor will serenade the driver with an eminently melodic tune to just past 6 000 r/min in every gear and even though the claimed 5,9-second zero to 100 km/h time does not sound fast by modern standards, the car will continue to well past the national limit with unerring stability and comfort at high speeds.
“When I drove the CSi from Durban to JHB she didn’t tire me out in the least. I stopped only once, only because I had to use the um, facilities,” Martin quips. “But on the other side, from a handling point of view, she’s a peach… The AHK system enables the two-tone Beemer to swerve from lane to lane at speeds above 130 km/h an there’s hardly perceptible body roll.
“Taking a corner at speed does feel strange, she seems to just drive through bends without any effort or excessive leaning. Some corners seem daunting to negotiate at first, but she coasts through them. Take the same corners in other cars and you’d appreciate the 850’s handling balance,” Martin adds.
The BMW is naturally not a very economical car to drive every day, yet Martin claims his beloved behemoth is not “overly thirsty for a 5,6-litre V12. As one forum member said she might not be the most economical, but at 140km/h the engine is ticking over at just over 3 000 r/min, it’ll last forever”.
In the meantime, Martin has collected and bartered a number of spare parts for his car from a few local suppliers and overseas-based enthusiasts or fellow owners. He’s procured Chinese-made engine diagnostic equipment that’s compatible with his BMW to ensure that his machine runs smoothly and as a rule replaces a suspect part before it fails and causes a breakdown.
Martin, having left the construction business a few years ago, now wants to utilise his hard-earned experience in sourcing a rare exotic car and keeping it in peak condition into a small business tailored for fellow enthusiasts.
Read the “Import your dream” feature in the May 2012 issue of CAR and if you have any questions for Martin, contact him on [email protected].
