Photo: BMW
German automaking is all about squeezing those decades of performance heritage into extra profit. For example, AMG's supposedly bespoke 4-door supercar is currently available with a not-so-special 3-liter engine making 367 horsepower.
However, BMW has now made it clear that it's not interested in a bespoke M supermodel. Speaking to Australian magazine Which Car, M Division head Markus Flasch has said the M8 already fits the bill, so there's no point in doing anything else.
The M8 fulfills the role of a supercar by being the "ultimate performance machine that we offer; it will be the fastest ever BMW at the Nürburgring Nordschleife."
And he's right. Within a few days or even hours, we should have the M8 Gran Coupe joining the coupe and cabriolet. Want an alternative to the AMG GT 53 4-door? The M850i is more than enough. Interested in the smaller Mercedes CLS 400 d with a diesel engine? The BMW 840d does the same thing.
There's a variety of supercars the M8 can beat to 100 km/h, including the DBSSuperleggera, AMG GT R and Pagani Zonda. Of course, that's mostly due to the AWD, but tuning could unlock even more speed.
If you look at things that way, the M8 Competition is a real bargain at $146,000. It would compete only with a basic McLaren or Audi R8, not the big-boy supercars. Although they were bigger and heavier, the old generations of the M6 were always gunning for the 911. The M8 is no exception, as Flasch call it a "Porsche Turbo killer." Many changes have been made to ensure it feels engaging as well.
The center of gravity is 24mm lower than in the M5, you sit lower and we’ve done a lot to the connection of the chassis to the body. It makes the front much stiffer and the steering feels different; all our test drivers were surprised by the different character," the M boss said.
The M8 fulfills the role of a supercar by being the "ultimate performance machine that we offer; it will be the fastest ever BMW at the Nürburgring Nordschleife."
And he's right. Within a few days or even hours, we should have the M8 Gran Coupe joining the coupe and cabriolet. Want an alternative to the AMG GT 53 4-door? The M850i is more than enough. Interested in the smaller Mercedes CLS 400 d with a diesel engine? The BMW 840d does the same thing.
There's a variety of supercars the M8 can beat to 100 km/h, including the DBSSuperleggera, AMG GT R and Pagani Zonda. Of course, that's mostly due to the AWD, but tuning could unlock even more speed.
If you look at things that way, the M8 Competition is a real bargain at $146,000. It would compete only with a basic McLaren or Audi R8, not the big-boy supercars. Although they were bigger and heavier, the old generations of the M6 were always gunning for the 911. The M8 is no exception, as Flasch call it a "Porsche Turbo killer." Many changes have been made to ensure it feels engaging as well.
The center of gravity is 24mm lower than in the M5, you sit lower and we’ve done a lot to the connection of the chassis to the body. It makes the front much stiffer and the steering feels different; all our test drivers were surprised by the different character," the M boss said.
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