BMW M8 Competition 2020 Review

The BMW M8 Competition is priced at $352,900 plus ORCs in Australia. The four-seat, two-door high-performance coupe – or Grand Tourer – is a big beast measuring 4.85 metres long and 1.9 metres wide.

That means you get a big (420-litre) boot, two giant front seats and two semi-usable rear seats. It's been compared to the Porsche 911 in some quarters and touted as a genuine everyday supercar. In many ways it is – but it sounds better, has more room than and is a lot heavier than a 911.

Packing one of the most powerful twin-turbo production V8s money can buy, a clever all-wheel drive system that instantly switch to rear-drive (read: tyre shred mode) and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the BMW M8 Competition coupe is the fastest BMW M car thus far... until the BMW M EV rocks up.

It's also one of the most luxurious BMWs you can clamber into, the lavish heated/cooled M sport seats finished in two-tone, diamond quilted Merino leather and providing a nice blend of support and comfort. I like the overt stitching and the red 'M' buttons too, reminding you of this car's sporty persona.

And just for good measure the dashboard is covered in Walknappa leather, with carbon-fibre accents throughout the cabin. Shoppers can also specify several leather upholstery colour combos at no extra cost, including Sakhir Orange and Black.

If you're going to pay close to 400 large, you'd want lots of goodies, and the standard equipment list is undeniably extensive. On it are soft-close doors, a power-operated boot, M seat belts, heated steering wheel and armrests, Laserlight headlights with self-dipping high-beams and a seriously high-fidelity Bowers & Wilkins 'Diamond' audio system.

The infotainment system looks good and is easy to use, featuring a 10.2-inch touch-screen display, while the instrument panel is crisp and clear, comprising a 12.3-inch LCD screen. The car comes with a night vision system and wireless phone charging and wireless Apple CarPlay are also standard features, but Android Auto is not supported.

BMW says it's still several months away from implementing this, which is like a blotchy gravy stain on an otherwise crisp and clean shirt that is the BMW M8's deluxe cabin.

There's lots of exterior eye-candy fitted as standard too, such as several different 20-inch alloy wheel designs, a double-bubble carbon-fibre roof, aggressive body work and a quad exhaust system. All of these details are integrated into an aerodynamic body shape that reminds me of a bigger, angrier Ford Mustang.

It's an incredible cruiser thanks to (almost) all the mod cons and the sort of luxury that Monaco's royal family would remark upon. But if you just wanted the wild 460kW biturbo V8 powertrain, there's a strong argument for the four-door BMW M5 Competition, which will save you more than $100,000.

BMW has already sold a handful of M8 coupes in Australia and probably won't sell more than a couple of dozen per annum. By comparison, the BMW M5 found 154 buyers in 2019.

Diffs, clutches, turbos and more electronic surveillance than the latest COVID-19 smartphone app, the BMW M8 Competition is a high-tech marvel.

It's arguably one of the most technologically-advanced (combustion engine) cars available today and a big part of that is down to its adaptive chassis and powertrain systems.

You can let the car control a dizzying array of adjustable performance parameters or you can fine-tune these yourself:

On top of these variables, which open up dozens of permutations, you can set the exhaust note to quiet or loud and there's even a toggle switch on the gear shift column to adjust shift intensity across three levels.

These various 'adjustables' deliver tangible differences, especially in terms of the chassis which goes from rock-hard in sport plus to relatively comfortable in, um, comfort. That this big coupe rides on high-performance Michelin tyres fitted to 20-inch rims make this feat even more remarkable.

Other performance technologies include the fitment of a very clever four-wheel drive system, dubbed M xDrive, which has several modes including the burnout-friendly rear-drive mode, and there's an active M differential that splits torque between the rear wheels to improve cornering stability, which works very effectively.

Safety systems are top-shelf, with a full suite of airbags, a passenger cell made from high-strength metals and all the semi-autonomous systems you'd expect on a flagship BMW.

It can park itself and its autonomous steering, acceleration and braking functionality (that work at low and high speeds) are remarkably assertive and effective – certainly some of the best systems I've experienced.

The only problem is there's no ANCAP safety rating for the BMW 8 Series on which it’s based – another thing it has in common with the Porsche 911.

Pop the bonnet of the BMW M8 Competition and you see one of the prettiest engine bays, well, anywhere. Fitted as standard with a luscious carbon-fibre engine cover, the glorious 460kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 generates an astonishing amount of thrust.

Officially, the 0-100km/h sprint takes just 3.2 seconds, although BMW Australia says the M8 Competition has set a time of 2.9 seconds, which is preposterously rapid and quicker than all 911s but the top-shelf Turbo S.

When you bury the throttle from standstill in the most aggressive powertrain and driveline modes, the BMW M8 Competition blasts forward with extraordinary pace – and it sounds pretty agro too.

Only the maxxed-out Competition spec level is offered in Australia (because Aussies don't stuff around like Europeans), with the 'regular' BMW M8 model and its 'puny' 441kW output relegated to other markets.

With a rev limit of 7200rpm, the thunderous German V8 is as flexible as it is muscular, bringing mind-melting acceleration at any engine speed. The biturbo V8 powerplant generates 460kW of power at 6000rpm and 750Nm of torque from just 1800rpm (and up to 5600rpm).

Making good use of two twin-scroll turbos nestled within the engine's V shape and indirect charge air cooling, the engine shifts the car's almost two-tonne mass as if it was a lightweight open-wheeler.

It's that fast.

Engine power pumps through an eight-speed M Steptronic Sport automatic transmission, which does a very good job across the car's intended use spectrum – from a comfy and refined interstate cruiser to a psychopathic apex hunter seeking nothing but g-forces.

All Aussie BMW M8s also get the M Driver's Pack as standard, which pushes top speed to 305km/h and entitles the owner to two BMW driver training courses. That means racetrack shenanigans.

Chatting to my cohort Bruce Newton about his recent experiences in the BMW X5 M, which has a similar powertrain, I exclaimed how much I loved the depth with which you can tweak the car's systems.

Bruce loves the engine, but completely disagreed and said he wasn't a fan of its myriad adjustable parameters. But that’s the beauty of it: For people who just want to get in and drive, the M8 ticks all the performance boxes, but I loved getting nerdy with it and changing the various settings to suit different scenarios.

Set to full attack mode, it fires out of corners with such intensity that it takes my brain a moment to register feelings of glee.

Michelin Pilot Sport tyres provide excellent grip levels and, together with the clever 4WD system, give the car the sort of sure-footedness that inspires confidence to test the car’s performance threshold. In other words, it's very approachable – and a lot more rewarding – than it should be at full-noise.

The BMW M8 weighs around two tonnes and at 1.9 metres wide it's no pocket rocket... More like a ballistic Bavarian bahnstormer. But somehow it's not intimidating to drive.

The steering isn't amazing like a 911’s is when it comes to response and feedback, but nor does the BMW ever feel like a young man meeting his partner's parents for the first time: nervous and jittery.

With this much power and weight, it should feel ponderous and terrifying to drive flat-out, but it doesn’t. It's rewarding and satisfying at all times.

And at the touch of a button the ballistic Bavarian bahnstormer transforms itself into a plush intercontinental cruiser, and therein lies a big part of its appeal. In the human world, a split personality is usually seen as a disadvantage, but not in the performance car world.

This or the M5? That's the argument that sometimes pops up in the comments sections of BMW M8 reviews.

But while the iconic sports sedan does have the same transformational chassis and powertrain tech, the same engine and better practicality (and is $110,000 cheaper), that argument kind of misses the point.

If you're in the market for a BMW M8 Competition – and there are many keen customers, given BMW has sold 12 of the beasts already – there's a strong chance you will cross-shop the car with a Mercedes-AMG GT R or an Aston Martin DB11.

You're keen on the coupe shape and what it says about you: "I’ve got cash, I’m stylish, I like pure sports cars and I don’t care for back-seat passengers".

The BMW M5 says something a little different: "I'm a successful executive or self-made business owner and I love German performance cars but have kids."

So the real question is, do you want a head-turning sports car that communicates your matchless virility, or a family sedan that most Germans will mistake for a taxi?

I really like what the BMW M8 coupe does and how it always goes about its business with a level of composure and refinement.

Yes, it can be loud and do smoky burnouts and destroy most Porsches in a straight line, but it's also very luxurious, more comfortable and roomier… just don't expect it to retain its value like a Porsche 911.

The BMW M8 is a technological tour-de-force and a brilliant sports car in its own right, but also the classiest M-car yet. I think it's awesome cars like this even exist.

How much does the 2020 BMW M8 Competition cost?
Price: $352,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V8
Output: 460kW/750Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 239g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A