2021 BMW M8

Competition Carbon Core Edition

Written by DriveLife online

Last month, I spent two weeks and 2,000km behind the wheel of the BMW M440i. It is a great car, and left me wondering if 285kW of power from that delicious twin-scroll turbo 6-cylinder was enough for New Zealand roads. Was there really a need for a car like the $350,000 M8 Competition, with its two twin-scroll turbos and a 4.4-litre V8 engine?

THE RANGE

You get to pick from either a 2-door version of the M8 - called the M8 Competition Coupe, or a 4-door version, the M8 Competition Gran Coupe. The wheelbase of the four-door car is 200mm longer than the coupe to give more rear legroom (spoiler alert: it needs it).

Both run two twin-scroll turbos attached to a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine, putting out 460kW of power and 750Nm of torque. Each has BMW’s all-wheel-drive system that they call xDrive. Performance is listed at 3.2 seconds to 100km/h, and fuel consumption is 10.4L/100Km.

Standard equipment on both is high, as you’d expect it to be. This includes an M Sport exhaust system, an M carbon engine cover, 20" M light-alloy wheels with performance tyres, an M Sport Differential, M Steptronic Sport transmission, tyre pressure indicator, alarm system, automatic boot opener, keyless entry and start, soft close doors, BMW Display Key, M Carbon roof, floor mats in velour, active seat ventilation in the front seats, electric lumbar support, carbon fibre interior trim, M seat belts, Heat Comfort package, front (includes seat heating, steering wheel heating and heated armrests), High-Beam Assist, Driving Assistant Professional, BMW Laserlights, Parking Assistant Plus, Teleservices (including ConnectedDrive Services, Connected Package Professional, Drive Recorder).

There’s also wireless phone charging, BMW Live Cockpit Professional, BMW Night Vision with person recognition, a DAB tuner, Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System, M Sport Seats, M Rear Spoiler, BMW Individual High-Gloss Shadow Line, M Competition Package, M Driver's Package, BMW Individual fullleather 'Merino' upholstery, a heads-up display (HUD), an Alcantara headliner, automatic wipers, automatic headlights, BMW Gesture Control, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, 1 12.3” high-resolution central display, dual-zone AC, and electric front seats.

You can option carbon fibre ceramic brakes with matte gold callipers and M logo if you wish at $16,500.

The M Carbon Exterior Package at $7,500 includes the front apron (air intake inserts, front left and right), mirror caps, the rear spoiler, and the rear diffuser. Our test car was fitted with this package, bringing the as-tested price to $350,400.

PRICING

• BMW M8 Competition Coupé $332,900 • BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupé $326,900

You can read more about the M8 Competition on BMW New Zealand’s website.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I knew this would be the same M8 Competition that I drove at Hampton Downs in April, and so was prepared for its greyness, namely Donington Grey. Such a shame this car is finished in such a flat colour, however the design of this car really shows itself off in the flesh. Forget the photos, this is a car you need to see. And yes, even in grey it looks superb.

There’s a real air of both performance and style here, especially when you get to the rear three-quarter view with those hugely blistered rear guards. The car feels stretched out, but BMW has pulled it off with some nice proportions all around. Up front there’s a grille that’s (thankfully) not over the top, and some carbon fibre extras like the front apron that is part of the optional M Carbon Exterior Package.

I only wish it was in a different colour, especially since there’s such a huge range available. Okay, one more for the wish list: how cool would this car look if it was pillarless?

THE INTERIOR

I was won over after opening the door – frameless. Was there ever a bad-looking car with frameless doors? I think not. And then, there it was; red leather. That’s my kryptonite, and I was sold instantly. Not just the red leather either; there’s some stunning diamond pleating in the seats, and the red leather door panels finished me off. There are illuminated ‘M8’ badges in the top of the front seats, and the magpie in me likes these very much. This was going to be a great week.

Another surprise are the seats; there’s cushion length adjust for you taller people, but it’s manual with a lever under the seat. I’ve driven cars under $150K where this adjustment is electric, so at $350K, I thought this would be standard. One thing I was happy not to see was the glass finish on the volume knob, iDrive knob and gear shifter, as we saw in the X5 M50d as part of the Glass Craft Elements. I did not like this at all, the shifter felt awkward and in a car like this, that would be out of place. So thank you, BMW, for not optioning this for New Zealand cars.

Up top, there’s grey suede used on the headlining and pillars. It’s a dark grey, but it’s better and a little lighter than black and feels fantastic to the touch. There’s no sunroof in this car, and since headroom is at a bit of a premium, it's likely a good idea not to have one.

Rear seat passengers suffer the most here; if your passengers don’t have legs, they’ll be fine. Otherwise, it’s barely a 2+2. I am not tall by any means, and yet even for me the passenger behind me will need to have surgery before getting in. Headroom in the rear is very tight too, so while I’m expecting this car to be an awesome Grand Tourer, I wouldn’t suggest taking three friends on a long trip. Average height rear-seat adult passengers will have their heads touching the roof.

Checking out the boot – it’s huge. At 420 litres, there’s a heap of usable space in there. Plenty of room for a couple of passengers with long legs who can’t fit in the back seat. There’s no spare wheel, instead there’s a tyre pump.

THE DRIVE

At last, time to drive away. Memories of the M5 came flooding back; that same twinturbo V8 burble. Subdued, but suggesting some potency at the same time. A slightly – and I’m talking ever so slightly – harder press of the gas pedal away from the dealership and I hear the rear wheels spinning already. Yes, it is all-wheel drive, but over my time with the car I’d experience this time and again; just push that right pedal a bit harder than is needed, and those rear wheels will let go. It’s no drama though, and settles down very quickly, even in the wet. This car is fitted with an 8-speed automatic gearbox, and true to BMW, it’s not a dualclutch transmission (DCT) so changes were smooth, as was low speed driving. DCT fanatics will say that a DCT gearbox will change much more quickly than a straight torque-converter automatic transmission like the M8 has, but honestly, it’s almost impossible to tell. Even in its default settings, quick acceleration will see quick gear changes; Switch the car into M1 or M2 mode and those changes are lightning quick.

New for this year’s M8 is the Drive Logic button on the shifter; you can choose from three settings, and this will alter the frequency of gear changes. Stick it on 3, and the ‘box will change down sooner, and hold the gears longer before changing up. You can also set this for each of the M1 or M2 drive modes, so (for example) if you stick it in M2 mode, the Drive Logic setting would likely be on 3. For that reason, for me it seems a bit pointless to stick the rocker switch for this on the gear lever. If you are tootling around in Road mode, you probably aren’t going to be playing with the Drive Logic setting – you’d just stick the car in M1 or M2 if you wanted to.

One tap of the M1 buttons kicks the mode off, but you still need to tap it again to confirm, since this disables traction control and depending on how you have it set up, can put the car into rear-wheel drive mode. Perfect for drifting? Yes. One tap of the M2 button is all it takes to engage M2 mode. BMW have taken away their normal drive modes of Eco, Dynamic, Sport + etc, so instead there’s an ‘m.mode’ button on the centre console that allows you to pick from Road, Sport, or Track. These are separate from the M1 and M2 buttons. You can also configure these modes how you want. Sport mode will also change the dash to a much sportier look, with everything in your face for brisk driving. On the driving side of things, in the Sport settings drivers can select to send a higher proportion of drive to the rear wheels.

And hallelujah! BMW has listened to us, and now when you switch the car into M1 or M2 mode, you get a rev counter in the heads-up display (HUD). With such smooth engines, it’s vital to know right now what revs the engine is doing, and the HUD is the best place to show the driver that info.

I aimed to take the car to Masterton later in the week, so until then it was using the M8 as a Daily Driver. How did it fare? On the whole, pretty good. With that much torque, anything is easy. Want to pass someone on the motorway? Effortless. At 100km/h, the engine is a quiet, tamed beast, making very little noise – even with the loud exhaust button on. In fact, every time you start the M8 Competition, it reverts to having the loud exhaust button turned on.

On the negative side of things, ride quality is not great even when it’s set to Comfort. On Wellington’s streets, the M8 Competition is, well, very firm. It doesn’t bounce, but it’s not very forgiving either. Sport mode makes this more pronounced of course. This isn’t a deal-breaker, but you can sure feel every bump in the road. Tyre noise is pronounced on coarse chip seal, but otherwise more than acceptable.

If you daily commute in the M8, you might get a chance to listen to the Bower & Wilkins Diamond sound system, if you ever get sick of the exhaust note. Aside from the engine and everything else in this car, the audio system is excellent. There are a few sound profiles to choose from; Studio, Concert, Stage, Cinema, or Lounge. The sound quality is stunning – I heard instruments in songs that I’ve never heard before, with crystal-clear higher frequencies, and a what felt like a very high-frequency range. I couldn’t find out what that number was, but man, it’s good. Still on that commute, if it gets dark then Night Vision is standard in the M8 Competition. You turn it on by a switch on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, next to the main light switch. I’m not sure how usable it is – it would have been better to have it in the driver’s display, rather than the centre display – but it is effective, showing up other cars and pedestrians that you might not see.

At night-time, those laser headlights that are standard on this car will fill the road ahead with light, up to 500 metres aware. Self-levelling of course, and directional. But it’s the quality of light that impresses; they are truly excellent.

At last, a sunny Friday and time to head to the Wairarapa for the day, mainly to take photos but any excuse to get this car out into its natural habitat. Heading over the Remutakas, the M8 Competition shows that while it may be a large, heavy beast at over 2,000Kgs, it can hustle in the corners. Body roll is almost non-existent, and grip is, as expected, phenomenal with AWD and those massive tyres – 275/35 front, and rears at 285/35. You can still break that grip with a prod of the gas pedal, but get that corner just right and the M8 will fair fly around it with little drama.

Hills? With 750Nm of torque in a twodoor coupe, hills disappear and you can barely feel them. This engine is like a diesel locomotive, it pulls like nothing else. It can sprint too, with 100km/h coming up in 3.2 seconds, 200km/h in 10.6 and the quarter-mile in 10.7. • Performance • Handling • Braking • Engine/exhaust noise • Quality of finish • Design • Transmission • Headlights • HUD • Audio system

CONS

• Ride is very firm • Some expected equipment missing • Complicated Drive Mode settings • Rear space

Steering feel is good, but not great. Even in M1 or M2 mode with steering set to Sport, there’s some feedback coming from the front wheels, but it’s not fantastic. With this much weight up front and those wide front tyres, that was to be expected. But it’s enough to allow you to push the car along at a fair pace through the bends. Slipping the gear shifter to the side to slip into manual mode, and time to use the paddles for gear changes. This is where the M8 Competition shines, as it howls around the corners, with snap-crackle-pops coming from the exhaust on the overrun. My God, this engine sounds fantastic, holding it at around 6,500rpm in second means you are rewarded with an awesome 625hp soundtrack.

Coming down the other side of the hill, time to test out the brakes. As mentioned, these are enormous 398mm front discs with 6-pot callipers, and 381mm rear discs. There is excellent brake feel from these, and you can really feather them well to make the most of them and get smooth, clean braking down into the bends. Fade? Zero, as you’d expect.

On the tighter corners, the car does show the weight it has behind it, but it’s all so controllable, and for over 2000kg – fun. We can’t leave how the car goes on a twisty road without mentioning the seats. They are supremely comfortable on the Daily Drive, but spirited driving is where they excel. You can crank up the bolsters to really hold you in, using the button on the side of the seat. I’ve got to say, even on the widest setting, they are still pretty tight. On a windy road, they come into their own, keeping you locked in place. So good. But keep in mind that if you are wide of girth, they might be a struggle.

According to BMW, the M8 Competition should sip fuel at the rate

of 10.7litres/100Km. That seems pretty optimistic, and in our driving of the car over 800Kkm, it managed to do 13.0L/100Km. For a large twin-turbo V8, that’s very reasonable.

JOHN’S POINT OF VIEW

When Fred was away in Auckland for another press launch, I saw a window and nabbed the M8, so that I could drive it for the last few days. It wasn’t all bad, I left him with the new Tiguan R-Line I was reviewing, which seemed like a fair swap to me.

Well the BMW M8 certainly makes a statement, when you see it and hear it. It looks sharp and is one of those ‘moving fast while still’ in cars. Once starting it you and everyone around you knows there is a beast under the hood. And did this car fly, it's one really quick car, pulling the horizon towards you at an incredible rate. The sound inside the car is nice too, not as loud as my own tastes would like, but in keeping with the luxury spec of the car.

Standing back from the M8 and wiping down my glossed-over eyes I had to really think about this car. Fred has covered what it's like to drive, it's a monster, but there are other aspects of this car to really consider. Its price tag is huge, which pushes it way up into the next tier of luxury car brands like Bentley and Aston Martin. Was the M8 trying to be a performance car or the ultimate in luxury grand tourers? This is a problem for the M8; BMW are not used to being at this level, which was apparent after spending a few days behind the wheel. The centre console had some nice haptic buttons, which were not carried on to the dash where it jumped back to normal BMW buttons. The controls were confusing when compared to other M vehicles, with the M1 and M2 on the wheel, both customizable, but the M button on the centre console was different again, with more settings or just a change of the dash. It needed to be simplified. The seats are narrow and small and I personally did not find them very comfy. Every time I got in the car, the heated or cooling seats would start, one time they were both on, never keeping the settings I had before. Even though it was a smart AC system, I felt it never got it right. I also found that the radio muted every time I lifted my hand to use the indicator, due to the Harry Potter gestures system they have. There were far too many settings, buttons and it felt more confusing to drive than natural. All of these little things become issues for me when you consider you're paying $350K for it.

I really enjoyed my time in the M8, but I felt it had some of the same issues as my Audi RS6. It's trying to be the Swiss army knife that has all of the options on it, which for the first few seconds is cool, and awesome. But then when you use it for specific things, it feels a bit cumbersome and unnatural. The M8 was trying to be everything: sports car, every-day car and luxury grand tourer. It did some of these things well but it missed the mark on a lot of things too. This price bracket has an expectation to live up to, and with only a short time behind the wheel I was not as impressed with the M8 as I thought I should be.

THE VERDICT

The 2021 BMW M8 Competition is a stunner. It looks amazing, sounds amazing, 2021 BMW M8

ECONOMY 7

INTERIOR 9

PERFORMANCE 9

SAFETY

9

STYLING

9

VALUE 6

and goes like a rocket. But it’s not perfect, even at $350,000. Rear headroom and legroom are, putting it nicely, at a premium. There are some things that you’d expect at the price point, that it doesn’t have.

Then there is that price; you could buy the M5 with the same drivetrain for $100K less. Sure, it takes 0.1 of a second longer to get to 100km/h, but in the scheme of things, does that matter? You also get four doors and a lot more room for passengers. But the M5 isn’t a coupe and while the M5 looks good, in the flesh the M8 really won me over with its design.

While living in New Zealand is generally awesome, some things aren’t so awesome. We don’t have the roads to allow anywhere near the designed use of the M8 Competition without losing your license and having the car impounded. This car could cruise on the autobahn at 250km/h all day long. In New Zealand? Not so much.

So, is it too powerful for this country? When we reviewed the M440i with 285kW, I felt that was just right, and expected the M8 to be a waste of time. But I was wrong, so wrong. This car is addictive and brilliant, I want one after all. But not in grey.