BMW M8 2019 Review – International
Menacing but subtle, the BMW M8 Competition may just have the measure of the Mercedes-AMG GTWhat’s it all about?
The BMW M8 Competition is coming to Australia early next year, and as a preview of the sleek new coupe in its most potent form, BMW laid on the M8 Competition for a workout at the Portimao racing circuit in Portugal. This was less a road test than a brief track test – but to make sure the trip was worth the while, carsales also tested the new BMW 840i Gran Coupe on Portuguese roads.
All up, the drive at Portimao consisted of six laps, plus two more for video. It wasn't a lot of time to learn about the track, let alone the car itself, but flicking between the two M modes on the steering wheel did provide some context for an assessment of the 2+2 coupe.
How much will it cost?
The importer has indicated that pricing for the BMW M8 Competition will start above $300,000. That places it in the ballpark against the entire Mercedes-AMG GT range, but the Competition version of the M8 can overpower even the rampaging AMG GT R, with an extra 30kW. Without giving much away – at all – BMW Australia has told carsales that the price of the M8 Competition will not exceed $400,000. Given the price of the AMG GT R is up around $350,000, the M8 Competition could likely be around that mark too.
Why should I buy a BMW M8?
It goes without saying that the BMW M8 Competition is a looker. But then most 8 Series variants are stylish. What sets the M8 Comp apart from the M850i, to use one example, is its force majeur performance. How does a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds sound?
On the track, the numbers barely tell the story. There's amazing output available from the turbocharged V8 engine. Peak torque is on tap from 1800rpm right through to 5800rpm, and even at 2000 revs the engine is producing in excess of 300kW. The power finally peaks at 6000rpm, and it's a steady climb all the way – no hiccups in power delivery to be seen or felt.
In fact, the engine is so refined that you'll tag the limiter if not careful to monitor revs displayed in the head-up display when the track mode is selected. For all its aural drama, the engine sounds ready to keep revving another 500 or 1000 rpm beyond the redline. How all that torque translates to the real world is exemplified by the way it holds higher gears exiting corners – without wasting time on the track.
The M8 Competition's automatic transmission takes all the guesswork out of when to shift. In the M1 mode the transmission makes any driver seem brilliant – even one who is completely unfamiliar with the track and has never sat himself down in an M8 before!
With all stops out (one of the M mode settings selected), the M8 offers handling that can be dialled up for whatever the driver wants. Coast out of a corner with power applied and the M8 will push slightly, but more power will bring the tail around in a gentle, predictable way that can be easily moderated by lifting off or keeping the boot in.
And of course, turn in at high speed with the throttle off and the M8 will step out at the rear. Again though, bringing the car back into line is very easy. Unlike lesser variants the 8 Series range, the M8 doesn't come with rear-wheel steering, but what it lacks in actual steering componentry it more than makes up with adaptive damping, the Active M differential, the all-wheel drive with multi-plate clutch system and the various electronic drive modes.
The ceramic brakes are very powerful and were hauling the M8 down from speeds above 230km/h along Portimao's main straight. In combination with the Pirelli P-Zero tyres, they were critical to the M8's secure and forgiving dynamics. After just a few laps, however, the rubber was looking fairly scuffed. That's actually what you want though, if the plan is to take the M8 out on the track – and stay safe with it.
Finding the right balance of comfort and support in the driver's seat is something of a black art and I found myself wishing on occasions that the seat offered firmer bolstering under the thighs – but that was in the context of lateral and braking forces that would be demanding for anything other than a full-house racing bucket.
The M8's seats are intended to suit grand touring as well as blitzing around a race track.
Leaving aside some tell-tales, such as the M mode buttons on the steering wheel spokes and the drive mode switchgear in the centre console, the M8 Competition features much in common with the standard 8 Series coupe.
On the return journey from the track to our hotel we drove the M8 convertible, the car that's not coming to Australia (see below). Built on the same wheelbase as the coupe, it's over 200mm shorter for legroom than the just launched 8 Series Gran Coupe. What was apparent from the drive is that the difference in wheelbase means the Gran Coupe is fine for legroom in the rear, but the coupe and convertible models are not kind to long-legged occupants of the rear seat.
When is it available in Australia?
The importer plans to bring the BMW M8 Competition in before the end of the first quarter next year. A brief note on that point: we won't see either the convertible or the lower-powered (441kW) versions of the M8 in Australia. The convertible hasn't been developed with right-hand drive markets in mind and BMW Australia plainly sees no point in offering the same car in a lower state of tune to power-mad Aussies.
Who will it appeal to?
It's hard to pin down who exactly will choose to buy the BMW M8 Competition. In some ways it's a fairly selfish car, as vehicles like these usually are. BMW's Marcus Flasch, the head of the M Division, has previously told Australian journalists that the M8 is a 'Porsche Turbo killer'.
So the simple answer as to who will buy the M8 competition? Cashed-up professionals with adult kids no longer living at home, perhaps owners of a Porsche 911 Turbo who are willing to try the same flavour in a different packet. Or perhaps people who are all of the above, but with a spot in the garage for the BMW, alongside the Porsche...
Where does the BMW M8 fit?
The BMW 8 Series range already sells in the VFACTS sports car segment for vehicles priced above $200,000. In that segment the 8 Series competes against vehicles as diverse as the Audi R8, the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 and, of course, the Mercedes-AMG GT and SL models.
Sales of the M8, as a high-performance 8 Series derivative, will be counted among sales of other 8 Series variants in the same segment.
So, what do we think?
Based on the track experience with the BMW M8 Competition coupe and the subsequent on-road blast in the convertible, we can say that this is a car that will undeniably attract a lot of buyers keen to try out the hard-edged performance for themselves. That even the convertible could be so quiet inside at high speeds tells everything there is to know about the M8. It's a sensational drive on a race track, but also a remarkably settled grand tourer in that role.
How much does the 2020 BMW M8 Competition cost?
Price: Anticipated to be above $300,000
Engine: 4.4-litre eight-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 460kW/750Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.6L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 242g/km (WLTP Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA
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