BMW thinks this M8 Competition Grand Coupe model is the closest it's yet got to the Porsche Panamera Turbo. But is it? Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

BMW's M8 Competition models provide a real alternative to more exotically-badged super saloons and high performance luxury sporting coupes and convertibles, offering searing speed, sleek styling and an engine that has few peers. Here's the four-seat Gran Coupe version.

Background

BMW's M division certainly knows how to build driver-focused sports cars. This though, is something slightly different - a larger, more luxurious driver-focused GT. Offered in Coupe, Convertible or, as in this case, four-door Gran Coupe form, it delivers masterful performance - on a major scale. If you must have the ultimate BMW, then this may well be it. It's tempting to think of this model as nothing more than an old F90-series M5 saloon in a more sporting suit. After all, it shares the same 625hp V8 twin-turbo engine, much of the same M Division technology and, as a result, pretty much the same performance figures. BMW though, thinks differently, pointing out that this car has a stiffer set-up, a shorter wheelbase body and cleaves a cleaner path through the air. Whatever your perspective though, this M8 Competition model looks to be a devastatingly effective piece of high performance engineering. The kind of car in which, for instance, you might drive to the Alps - but take in the Nurburgring on the way. Developed in parallel with the M8 GTE endurance racing car, it's a force to be reckoned with.

Driving Experience

Imagine the mighty old F90-series BMW M5 super saloon as a sleeker Gran Touring sportscar with a shorter wheelbase for extra agility and a stiffened set-up for even sharper responses. That's essentially what we've got here with this M8 Competition Gran Coupe model. The 'Competition' tag refers to this car's stiffer engine mountings which aim to facilitate sharper turn-in. Like that F90 M5, there's a 625hp twin turbo V8 mated to a direct-shifting DCT M Steptronic paddleshift gearbox (rather than the lazier Speedtronic auto you get on a lesser M850i Gran Coupe). Plus there's 4WD, an electronically-governed mechanical limited slip differential and a set of grippy 20-inch Michelin tyres, the rears slightly wider than the fronts. In addition, as with that old M5, there are lots and lots of mode settings which you can programme in and customise via two buttons on the centre stack marked 'M Mode' and 'Set-Up'. Once you've arrived at your favourite two combinations of throttle response, gearshift timing, stability programming and damping feedback, you can save them via two red anodised levers on the steering wheel marked 'M1' and 'M2' - one perhaps for country roads, the other maybe for fast-flowing major routes. As with the old M5, you can also select an 'M-Dynamic' setting that turns all the safety systems off and limits the drivetrain to rear wheel drive. It's a mode we'd advise you to use only for tyre-smoking circuit drifting. In any mode, this M8 is very, very fast of course - 62mph is dispatched in just 3.2s and if it weren't for the 155mph speed limiter, 180-190mph would no doubt be possible.

Design and Build

The M8 Competition models aim to display the hallmark proportions of luxury-class sports cars whether you choose this four-door Gran Coupe or the alternative two-door Coupe or Convertible models. In each case, the dynamic appearance is shaped by a low-slung body and a stretched outline. The style of this Gran Coupe variant is very similar to that of its Coupe and Convertible showroom stablemates, but it has a wheelbase that's 201mm longer in order to incorporate a couple of extra rear doors. Unlike obvious segment 'Grand Turismo'-style rivals like the Porsche Panamera and the Audi A7 Sportback (but like its closest competitor the Mercedes CLS), this BMW has a traditional notchback boot rather than a hatchback. The interior is awash with high-precision details and features a driver-centric cockpit and low-set sports seats featuring integral head restraints and trimmed in soft Merino leather. The key change with this facelifted model is an upgrade in the size of the central infotainment screen - from 10.25 to 12.3-inches. Despite the coupe-style pretensions here, this is a proper four-seater; there's certainly adequate head and legroom in the rear, even for loftier adults. The boot meanwhile (which has a high lip) is big enough for a quartet of adults too, being 440-litres in size. Larger objects like skis can be dealt with by a through-loading hatch. If you need more room, then releasing a pair of neat boot sidewall catches flattens the rear seatbacks, a standard feature that can free up considerably more cargo space.

Market and Model

Pricing for the M8 Competition in Gran Coupe form starts at around £138,000, around £2,000 less than the M8 Competition Coupe and around £9,000 less than the M8 Competition Convertible. Standard equipment includes a sports exhaust and 20-inch M light alloy Star-spoke style Bicolour alloy wheels. Inside, there are heated 'M' sports seats trimmed in super-soft 'Merino' leather upholstery, carbonfibre cabin trim, soft-close doors and the BMW Live Cockpit Professional package, which gives you a 12.3-inch instrument binnacle dial display and a 10.25-inch centre-dash infotainment screen. If you've more to spend, you might want to consider the optional 'M Driver's package' which increases the top speed to 190mph and costs around £2,100 - which seems an awful lot to pay for a software tweak. That's also included as part of the optional 'Ultimate Package' which, for a cool £20,000 more, also gives you 'Laserlight' headlights, M carbon ceramic brakes, extra carbonfibre interior and exterior trimming, a thumping upgraded Bowers & Wilkins sound system, ventilated front seats, a TV tuner, an M Carbon engine cover and all the extra camera safety features of the optional 'Driving Assistant Professional' pack.

Cost of Ownership

You won't be expecting a super sports car of this power and price to be in any way affordable to run - and this one isn't. If you get anywhere near the quoted WLTP combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 24.8mpg (compare to 25.4mpg for the Coupe body style), then you shouldn't have bought this car in the first place and it'll deserve a better home: you know where we are. The WLTP-rated CO2 figure is 261g/km for this Gran Coupe. Routine maintenance is dictated by 'Condition Based Servicing' that monitors oil level and engine wear, taking into account how long it's been and how far the car has travelled since its previous garage visit. To help plan ahead for the cost of regular work, at point of purchase you'll be offered a 'BMW Service Inclusive' package that lasts for three years and 36,000 miles. With this, after a one-off payment, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that all normal work on the car has been paid for during this period, including items such as oil, spark plugs and filters. On to the warranty package. BMW offers a warranty that lasts for three years, no matter how many miles you complete. You can also insure your car through BMW, though as most M8s will be funded with company money through a lease deal, this brokerage fees are likely to be bundled into that.

Summary

It really comes down to how driver-focused you want to be. If you want the most driver-orientated super sportscar you can buy for less than £200,000, BMW's M8 Competition Gran Coupe isn't it. If though, you want one that can combine Nurburgring Nordschiefe dynamics with GT luxury, then this M8 makes a very strong case for itself, particularly in this Gran Coupe form. It's certainly fast enough - and there's a competition-bred feel to the handling that rivals from Jaguar, Lexus and Audi can't quite match. A tougher question to answer lies in whether this car is worth nearly 25% more than BMW's mechanically rather similar M850i Gran Coupe model. That's a question of personal preference of course. What's not up for debate is the way this M8 can make you feel, for its buyers delivering a perfect symbiosis of performance and exclusivity, dynamism and prestige. Or, to put it another way, a super car they could tail-out slide on a track day, then cruise across Europe in afterwards. These people will love this M8, despite its high running costs and even higher price. There's a need, after all, to pay for the most consummate of pleasures. If you can afford to do that though, you'll find much to admire here. Powerful elegance - that's pitch-perfect.