The Automatic-equipped 850Ci was a variant of the E31 BMW 8 Series that was introduced for the 1993 model year. The 850Ci was largely similar to the 850i, the variant it was meant to replace, but production overlapped for the majority of 1994. BMW introduced the 'C' designation in 850Ci as the company was regularly featuring the letter in its coupe variants. The 850Ci featured BMW's M73B54 5.4L V12 engine, mated to a 4 speed automatic transmission (5 speed from 1995). Production of the Automatic BMW 850Ci lasted until 1999.