BMW M8 Competition: It's On

Another day, another new BMW, this time it’s the M8, which we reported on a few months ago. I know the site is starting to feel a bit like a BMW fan channel, but hey, I don’t schedule the product releases…

The M8 is BMW’s performance flagship and the numbers are truly astonishing. We already know the M850i is a dead-set rocket, so the M8 should be an absolute missile.

Look and Feel

While we’ve seen the M8 GTE out and about on racetracks of the past 18 months or so, this is our first proper look at the production beastie. Like the M850i, it’s luxury-focussed but with appropriately grabby seats and a nice new shifter.

The cabin is packed full of stuff and I’m assuming there are plenty of options to add to what is likely to be an already expensive car (the M850i has not been praised for its sharp pricing). It won’t be cheap, but it’s loaded with plenty of goodies, some carbon fibre trim and a lot of electronic gadgets.

Drivetrain

As you might well imagine, BMW’s epic 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 provides the thrust, with ZF’s eight-speed automatic sending the power to all four wheels. The transmission features three modes, which BMW says are for “particularly efficient, sporty or ultra-dynamic driving.” So, soft, hard and my goodness, that’s a firm shift.

The M8’s version produces 441kW (600PS) while the Competition adds a bit more for 460kW (625PS). Both have an impressive 750Nm on tap to sling the big coupe down the road.

BMW says the M8 Coupe and Convertible will crack 100km/h (62mph) in 3.3 seconds, while the M8 Competition will knock a tenth of second off that. That’s basically McLaren 570S territory.

The M8 features extra cooling in the form of two high-temperature water circuits in addition to the central radiator, as well as additional oil coolers and a transmission oil cooler. There is also an extra oil chamber in the sump to ensure a continuous supply of oil when you’re out on track.

Chassis

I just had to include this nonsense from the press release: “The new BMW M8 models provide a fresh take on the characteristic M feeling that translates into unbeatable directional stability even in extremely dynamic situations, a linear build-up of transverse loads however strong the lateral acceleration, and neutral steering behaviour even at the limit.”

Well, it’s not nonsense, I guess, but it’s a really weird way to say, “It’s got a ton of grip in the corners.”

Obviously the all-wheel drive system is beefed-up for the extra power and torque over the M Performance models and the electronic diff makes way for the full-fat Active M differential.

The body is stiffer, courtesy of strut tower bracing up front and an X-shaped brace at the rear bulkhead.

And it all rolls on 20-inch alloys with 275/35s at the front and 285/35s at the back. BMW didn’t name the tyre in the presser, but I’m going with P-Zeros as a guess.

One new trick on the M8 is the configurable brake pedal feel. Basically, the brake activation, brake booster and braking control functions have all been mashed together in one module and the pressure is modulated by an electronically-controlled actuator. So in normal driving you can have a more progressive pedal, when you’re on it, you can choose a more “instantaneous” pedal feel. Should be a laugh.

You can also get carbon ceramics as an option.

How much and when?

I’d say a lot. In Australia, the M850i is $272,000, which is a stack of cash. BMW are holding a big show at BMW Welt called hashtag NextGen later this month, where the car will make its debut and we’ll get more information.