What is the name of BMW's luxury grand tourer produced from 1989 to 1999?

BMW’s luxury grand tourer produced from 1989 to 1999 was the BMW 8 Series, specifically the first-generation E31. It was designed as a fast, refined two-door flagship rather than a direct replacement for an ordinary sports coupe.

The E31 entered production in 1989 with a sleek, low body, frameless doors and concealed pop-up headlights. It used a front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, combining long-distance comfort with serious performance. The range began with V8-powered models and later included the 850CSi, whose 5.6-liter V12 was developed by BMW M.

The 6 Series is an understandable distractor because it was also a BMW luxury coupe, but the E24 6 Series occupied a different place in the lineup. The 7 Series was BMW’s full-size luxury sedan, while the Z8 was a much later two-seat roadster built from 2000 to 2003. BMW revived the 8 Series name in 2018 for a new family of grand touring models.