Photo: Stefan Baldauf / Guido ten Brink
In case you were wondering, the M8 is big news for BMW. For starters, it’s the first-ever M8 that made it to series production. And secondly, the luxurious grand tourer is the most expensive M car since the Motorsport division was founded in 1972.
The M8 Competition is the crowning achievement of the engineers in Munich, packing a 4.4.-liter V8 with twin-turbos and lots of carbon fiber for the engine cover to bring the point home. What point you might be wondering? The truth of the matter is that the M8 Competition is quite heavy at 1,960 kilograms (4,321 pounds).
Taking the DBS Superleggera as a comparison, the Aston Martin with more than 700 horsepower from a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 tips the scales at 1,693 kilograms (3,732 pounds). Given these circumstances, don’t you find it curious how much carbon fiber BMW utilized in the M8 Competition? “Showoff” is the word you’re looking for.
On the upside, the ‘Bahn burner is quite impressive in a straight line andd in the twisties thanks to the sportiest xDrive system available, even weight distribution, and M-specific adaptive suspension with unique strut bars. Also available as a cabriolet and four-door coupe sedan, the G15 brought at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show with Frozen Marina Bay Blue paintwork and a few other optional extras inside and out.
Pricing in the U.S. for the 2+2 grand tourer starts at $133,000 while the Competition Package retails at $146,000 before destination charge. Read that again, then remember that the smaller, less powerful, but much more exotic Aston Martin V8 Vantage starts at $149,995. Adding insult to injury, BMW canceled the WEC program for the M8 GTE after one year of mixed results in the World Endurance Championship.
The biggest problem with the M8 Competition, however, is the engine. The S63 dates back to 2010 and it’s based on the N63 from 2008, which is a lot of years in the automotive industry. The output rating (625 PS or 616 horsepower) also happens to match that of the M5 Competition, which is a better overall package and that bit cheaper.
If you had $150k to spend on a performance car, would you even consider the M8 Competition?
Taking the DBS Superleggera as a comparison, the Aston Martin with more than 700 horsepower from a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 tips the scales at 1,693 kilograms (3,732 pounds). Given these circumstances, don’t you find it curious how much carbon fiber BMW utilized in the M8 Competition? “Showoff” is the word you’re looking for.
On the upside, the ‘Bahn burner is quite impressive in a straight line andd in the twisties thanks to the sportiest xDrive system available, even weight distribution, and M-specific adaptive suspension with unique strut bars. Also available as a cabriolet and four-door coupe sedan, the G15 brought at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show with Frozen Marina Bay Blue paintwork and a few other optional extras inside and out.
Pricing in the U.S. for the 2+2 grand tourer starts at $133,000 while the Competition Package retails at $146,000 before destination charge. Read that again, then remember that the smaller, less powerful, but much more exotic Aston Martin V8 Vantage starts at $149,995. Adding insult to injury, BMW canceled the WEC program for the M8 GTE after one year of mixed results in the World Endurance Championship.
The biggest problem with the M8 Competition, however, is the engine. The S63 dates back to 2010 and it’s based on the N63 from 2008, which is a lot of years in the automotive industry. The output rating (625 PS or 616 horsepower) also happens to match that of the M5 Competition, which is a better overall package and that bit cheaper.
If you had $150k to spend on a performance car, would you even consider the M8 Competition?
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