The return of the 8 Series has been a welcome addition to the BMW range – adding a luxury grand tourer that this German manufacturer has been missing out on.
Up until now you’ve been able to choose it as a powerful M850i petrol variant, as well as a more efficient 840d diesel engine. But now there is a more powerful flavour available in the form of the new M8 Competition.
Here are five key things to know about it…
Most powerful BMW M engine ever
Key to a flagship performance car is its engine, and the M8’s certainly doesn’t disappoint.
The 616bhp 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 is the most powerful one to ever come from BMW’s ‘M’ performance division. This powerhouse of a unit allows the model to accelerate from 0-60mph in just three seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. This can be increased to 189mph if the BMW M Driver’s Package is selected.
This powertrain isn’t an exclusive to the BMW M8, though, as you’ll also find it under the bonnet of the M5 Competition, as well as the new X5 M and X6 M Competition SUVs.
A dedicated ‘M Mode’
With BMW’s M division having a long and extended history of producing some of the finest driver’s cars around, it’s not a massive surprise to learn that the M8 already makes do with a whole host of technologies that you’ll have seen elsewhere on the latest M cars.
However, the M8 also introduces a number of new features, as is to be expected from a range-topping model. One of these is a new ‘M Mode’, which automatically changes the response of the driver assistance systems and the interior displays. Three settings are available – ‘Road’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’, and by selecting the latter two you can disable braking and steering assistance features to provide a purer driving experience.
Available in three different bodysyles
Unlike most range-topping models, you’re able to choose the M8 in three quite different bodystyles – a Coupe, a Convertible and a four-door Gran Coupe.
The Coupe is set to be the purest example, and the most focused, while also offering the best performance of all versions. If you want the drop top thrills, choose the Cabriolet where you’ll be able to take in the noise of the vocal 4.4-litre V8 engine.
Meanwhile if you’re looking for something with added practicality and rear seats that are suitable for adults, try the more spacious Gran Coupe that can seat up to three in the back.
Arrival of a once-axed nameplate
When it comes to M cars, it’s usually the M3 and the M5 that dominate, with each having decades of history to rest upon.
But one missing nameplate in the M line-up has always been the M8. Despite an 8 Series existing in the 1990s, an M8 was never produced outside of prototype form, with a plan to install a powertrain derived from the McLaren F1 (which uses a BMW engine) being shelved because of global financial difficulties.
But with this M8 it signals a new dawn, and a presence of a nameplate that looked like it would never appear.
One of BMW M’s most expensive and exclusive road cars yet
Exclusivity is key on a model like the M8, and buyers lucky enough to be able to afford it will no doubt appreciate its rarity.
For example, BMW is anticipating selling just 100 M8 Coupes throughout 2020, with the Convertible set to even more exclusive, with 70 likely to be bought on British shores.
You, unsurprisingly, pay a price for this performance and exclusivity, as the M8 is by no means a cheap car. The Coupe costs from £123,435, with the Cabrio being priced from £130,435. The new Gran Coupe has the lowest starting price – costing from £120,935.
