Happy New Year.

The year 2009 is an important milestone in 8er (E31) history.  It will be 20 years this coming September that the 1990 (Euro) 850i was introduced at the IAA Frankfurt (Germany) Auto Show.  BMW AG had hoped to use this ocassion to launch the new 2010 BMW 8 Series, however, with the global recession upon us, BMW made the smart decision by cancelling the program.

For current 8er enthusiasts, 2009 will be a rough year for valuations.  Much like other modern classics, the global recession will hurt near-term valuations for the best maintained 8er's, including the 850CSi and Alpina B12 5.0/5.7's.   During 2008, the Registry received 1 buyer assistance request for every 9 sellers seeking help in selling their prized 8er's.

For 2009, the work at the E31 Registry continues as in the past. 

• The E31 Registry at 8Coupe.com will include new content additions and some surprises. 

• The long-awaited Owner Registry is still in beta development with hopes for bringing it online later this year. 

• Currently 8Coupe.com is for 8er owners only, however, we are considering other methods of access to non-8er owners. 

• And finally, the 8 Series Inventory Project database is being re-developed to bring about deeper query functionality. 

We wish that 2009, despite its challenges, be a year of prosperity and joy for you and your family.

The E31 Registry Staff
www.8coupe.com