BMW M850i v Porsche 911 2019 Comparison

They are German, they are 2+2 sports coupes and they are brand-new. But from there the BMW M850i xDrive and Porsche 911 Carrera 4S diverge.

Sexy, sleek and shark-like, the front-engined V8 all-wheel drive M850i is BMW’s latest attempt at a flagship grand touring coupe.

The eighth-generation 992-series Porsche 911? Well, it’s still that distinctive hunched frog, still powered by a rear-mounted flat six and in this case – as the 4 in 4S denotes – drives all four wheels.

So can BMW’s newest star get on terms with a legend, or are they so different they emerge from this comparison driving in different directions? Only one way to find out.

The Porsche 911 traces its history back 56 years. It is undoubtedly the pre-eminent luxury sports car on offer in the world today. As you may have gathered from our recent coverage of the international and local launches, the larger, quicker and more powerful 992 has already had heaps of praise ladled upon it.

Its twin-turbo 3.0-litre 331kW/530Nm flat six drives via an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, it gets to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds (0.2sec quicker if you option Sport Chrono), averages a claimed 9.6L/100km and weighs in at a relatively lithe 1565kg.

The 8 Series is just as new as the 911 and has also been greeted positively on overseas as well as Australian roads. It supplants the old 6 Series and restores a badge number not touted by BMW since the 1990s.

BMW makes no bones about the fact the 8 Series is its new flagship performance model and until the M8 arrives, the 850i xDrive is the master blaster of the range with a 3.7sec 0-100km/h claim and a swag of chassis techno-trickery including anti-roll stabilisation and rear-steer designed to team the straightline speed with cornering prowess.

Providing that oomph is the latest iteration of BMW’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, which makes 390kW/750Nm and drives via an eight-speed ZF torque converter auto. Fuel consumption claim is 10.4L/100km -- something the substantial 1970kg kerb weight no doubt contributes to.

The BMW is also more than 300mm longer than the Porsche at 4851mm. But the 911 is much bigger than its predecessor, so much so that at first sight front-on it looks more like a Panamera saloon than a svelte coupe!

So why compare them? Why not? Two German superstar brands throwing their substantial capabilities at producing great sports driving experiences makes for a mouth-watering prospect.

Obviously, only the affluent need apply.

Among them will be rusted-on 911 buyers who wouldn’t think of purchasing anything else. If you’re one of them then you’re only reading this for validation, not to help you make a buying choice.

The M850i xDrive offers BMW lovers another choice at the top of the range alongside the 7 Series limousine and the new X7 SUV. Hmmm, maybe not a choice but an addition?

These two actually line up very close on price. The BMW will set you back $272,900 plus on-road costs, while the 911 is $281,100 plus ORCs. The difference is in what you get for the money.

Sure the core mechanical contents of the 911 are unquestionable, but the Bimmer offers so much more stuff standard – and some of it you can’t even get in the Porsche.

Laser headlights, adaptive cruise control, head-up display, active cruise control, seat cooling, night vision and a carbon roof are examples of the 850i’s standard big-ticket items.

There’s really not much left to option when it comes to the BMW, while our Porsche came with $45,000 worth of extras including special paint ($5700), a sports exhaust ($5480), Sport Chrono ($4890), sunroof ($4730) ) and $4900 night vision, which we found to be excellent for country driving at night.

Our 911 also came with adaptive cruise control, which costs $3580 combined with an upgrade of the standard autonomous emergency braking from camera to radar-based.

No such gradations with the BMW, which comes laden down with enough driver assistants to ensure it has hands-off (for a short period) semi-autonomous capability.

It’s not all going the BMW’s way. One of the Porsche’s few DAS advantages is a new ‘Wet’ mode, which dials back various settings to aid inclement weather behaviour. It has a noticeable impact, making the car feel very calm.

In the BMW you also have to pay a subscription to access Apple CarPlay – yes you read that right. BMW does this because it prefers you use its Bluetooth system, which admittedly works pretty well. Wireless connection is also pretty cool.

Of course, neither car gets a spare tyre and nor do they get an ANCAP crash safety rating – nor are they likely to!

Both come with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The BMW has on-demand servicing and pre-paid packages that cover out to five years and 80,000km. As this was written, pricing was yet to be finalised.

The Porsche has 12-month/15,000km servicing intervals. As an indicative cost, Porsche Cars Australia quotes $695 for oil maintenance every odd year (one, three, five, etc) and $995 for an inspection every even year out to eight years and 120,000km.

They both drive exceedingly well, but it’s the Porsche 911 that truly stands out.

It has such keenness to its engine and PDK transmission and such an inclusive level of driver involvement offered by the chassis, there’s no doubt it’s the better choice for a challenging mountain road.

Its steering is sublime – there is no other way to describe it. There is acute response, intimate feel and instant response. The same can be said of the brakes; those six-piston front calipers are simply brilliant.

Body control and grip are available in abundance. This thing sits as flat as a tack while cornering hard. The all-wheel drive system provides an extra layer of confidence, shuttling power fore and aft as required.

If the Porsche is the one for the mountain roads, then the BMW will transport you to them more comfortably. It’s quieter, has a better ride in its adaptive suspension’s most malleable mode, won’t scrape its nose on gutters anywhere near as easily and the interior simply feels like a more luxurious place to be. The front seats, which adjust every which way, play a starring role.

There’s no denying that immense engine in the BMW – it is no faster accelerating or more flexible than the torquey Porsche flat six but it sounds brilliant! The optional Porsche exhaust gets more obviously aggro when revved though, spitting, gargling and crackling with venom.

The BMW’s torque converter tranny is as good as the Porsche’s PDK. It too can be relaxed, alert or hyper-active depending on the mode you select. Even changing manually there is little between them.

The BMW has far more luggage capacity than the Porsche, amplifying its advantage as a day-to-day driver.

Having said that, the new 911 is a big step forward in tyre noise reduction in the cabin and in normal mode its adaptive dampers deliver a livable ride.

The BMW doesn’t handle as well as the 911, so therefore it could do that job better. But it’s still pretty darn good considering its size and weight.

There is lots of grip, but not as much as the 911. The steering is lighter and lacks the same certainty and communication. We’re talking impressive versus the best in the business here.

Fitting people in the rear seat is not a positive for either car. The Porsche’s 132-litre frunk is also tiny compared to the BMW’s substantial 420-litre boot that is made even more useful by a rear-seat split-fold.

The Porsche 911 is also compromised by its poor vision and the contortions required to get in and out. The benefit – once you get there -- is a driver-focused cockpit with supportive seats and excellent steering wheel and pedal location.

Annoyingly, the outer gauges in the five-dial analogue and digital instrument display are obscured by the steering wheel. The rest of the minimalist, modernised interior works efficiently.

But like the BMW, the Porsche has plenty of menus and sub-menus to drill into. It’s just less complicated for that initial interaction.

Intermingled with the BMW’s profusion of high-tech controls and high-quality cabin materials are a couple of quality annoyances.

The glass gearshifter feels fragile, the plastic on the centre console bows under finger pressure and there were wear marks showing near the electric park brake button.

A winner? Everyone’s a winner today.

If pure sports driving is your thing then the 911 is the choice. It’s that simple.

But if you want an all-rounder that you could drive every day and then enjoy a pacey run when the opportunity arose, the BMW is the one to go for.

It’s also a better value proposition than the 911 – if you can use that term for anything at this price. Hand me the keys to the BMW and I’d have no complaints.

But put me on the spot and I’d opt for the Porsche. It is so good at the driving bit it’s not that hard to put up with the downsides.

How much does the 2019 BMW M850i xDrive cost?
Price: $272,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V8
Output: 390kW/750Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 238g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A

How much does the 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S cost?
Price: $281,100 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol six-cylinder
Output: 331kW/530Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 9.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 219g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A