BMW has only offered two generations of the 8 Series. Its first outing lasted almost a decade in the 1990s before the automaker stored the nameplate for nearly 20 years. The E31 died due to poor sales, ending the coupe’s run, but its sleek styling hasn’t been forgotten. Reyn Speed Shop has created a stunning one-off that it showed to the world during Monterey Car Week.
The car is called the 858 CSL, and it wears several new carbon fiber body panels to help reduce weight and earn the Competition Sport Lightweight badge. There are also new front and rear bumpers, wide boxy fender flares, bespoke headlights, and a vented hood. Unique alloy wheels feature the original BMW center caps. It’s a subtle stylistic upgrade that emphasizes the stock styling while adding a few unique twists.
The one-off also does away with the original engine—BMW offered V-8s and V-12s of various displacements—replacing it with the 5.0-liter V-10 from the E60-generation M5. However, Reyn Speed Shop couldn’t leave well enough alone, so it increased the engine’s size to 5.8 liters with a longer stroke, and paired it with a six-speed manual transmission.
Reyn didn’t break down the modified engine’s new performance numbers, but the engine made 500 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque in the first E60s to roll off the line, which BMW sold from 2005 to 2010. The larger displacement likely equates to even more horsepower, but with Monterey Car Week over, you might have missed your chance to see the 858 CSL in person. But at least it exists. The first-generation 8 Series deserves more love.
