BMW M8 Competition: Is it Worth the Hype?

By Daud Gonzalez - December 31, 2019

The M8 Competition is a lot of car with 617 HP, 4WD, carbon-fiber everywhere. But is its performance actually worth $146,000?

BMW raised a lot of eyebrows when they announced that the mythical 8-series 2-door coupe was coming back to market after an absence of around 2 decades. This coupe is without a doubt the definition of a grand tourer, it simply a step above the 6-series coupe both in performance and luxury. At the time, BMW was using these vehicles as flagship models, the 850i models featuring a beefy V12 engine and advanced technology. Back in the 90’s we never did end up getting an M8 variant, even though the team at BMW M had begun developing the car then and later scrapped the idea due to cost and logistics.

However, here we stand 20 years later with a proper M8. This also isn’t just any M8, this is the M8 Competition. With it comes the most powerful engine BMW has ever put into a road car, the S63 twin-turbo V8, cranking out 617 HP and 553 lb/fts of torque without issue. Those are astonishing figures for any car and this BMW seeks to take the GT performance crown. Starting at $146,000, it is also not a very cheap prospect of a vehicle. Is the M8 worth the performance you pay for? Did the company learn something new after 20 years of absence in the market? We tune in to carwow on YouTube to find the answers to these questions.

Presenter Mat Watson starts off by bringing the M8 to the race track to get some real-time performance figures. The car manages an 11.2-second standing quarter-mile time in 4WD mode and a 0-to-60 time of 3.1 seconds. Watson has the idea of redoing the test with the car in RWD mode to replicate the M cars of old. The resulting is him doing a rolling burnout for around 10 seconds down the front straight and nearly sliding the car into the wall. If there is any question this car “needed” 4WD drive, it has been answered.

The M8 without a doubt shares a unique more aggressive styling as compared to the standard 8-series. It is layered head to toe in carbon fiber, including the standard carbon roof. The car also features the beautiful M-specific wheels which are some of the best OEM wheels to be made from the company since the M4 Competition wheels. We also manage to get a look of the upcoming M8 Gran Coupe 4-door, which we have to say does look pretty beautiful with its longer, sweeping proportions. The M8 is also featured as a convertible for those who seek to have the top down.

For those interested in the car, please check out the full video. It is comprehensive and goes over the benefits and the issues with the car on road and track.