the numbers Vehicle Type: front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback Base/As Tested ............... $37,495/$44,130 Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Power: 200 hp @ 4750 rpm Torque: 266 lb-ft @ 0 rpm Battery: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 66.0 kWh Transmission: single-speed direct-drive Dimensions • Wheelbase ................................................ 102.4 in • L/W/H .................................... 164.0/69.5/62.8 in • Curb Weight ............................................. 3585 lb
test RESULTS Rollout, 1 ft ................................................. 0.3 sec 60 mph ........................................................... 6.7 sec 90 mph ......................................................... 13.9 sec Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ........................ 6.7 sec 1/4-Mile ................................... 15.2 sec @ 92 mph Top Speed (gov ltd) ................................. 93 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ....................................... 191 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ................ 0.79 g EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy .................. 118/127/108 MPGe • Range .......................................................... 259 mi
2 02 0 B M W M 8 ~ BY M I K E D U F F
German for “Pony Car” Part M5, part Ford Mustang, the M8 is all special.
little like driving through a train set. It’s the complete opposite of Death Valley, a sort of desert upside-down world. Cooler temperatures bring relief from the searing heat and we relax for a moment. The Bolt has made the 134-mile trek to the turnaround point with 75 miles left on the range display. Obviously, 75 is less than 134. But the way back is mostly downhill, and our anxVRaf SNQR` N` R[R_Tf ½\d` V[a\ aUR ONaaR_f Thirty-nine miles are added to the range as we come down from Whitney Portal. The return trip over Towne Pass will either make or break this exercise (and our mental state). We start with a feel-good 101 miles remaining, but then the number ORTV[` a\ Q_\] V[ PYbZ]` \S ¼cR =R_UN]` it’s the heat or the range anxiety or that I’ve ab_[RQ \ß aUR _NQV\ a\ P\[`R_cR ]_RPV\b` electrons, but I’ve begun talking to myself in the third person. Dave isn’t scared. Dave can make it back. Dave can do this. You know, Dave is pretty sweet on you. You’re just Dave’s type. When the going gets weird, the weird turn professional. We make it over the hump and the numbers make sense again. The fall from Towne Pass invigorates the indicated range by 39 miles. No problem. The drop into Death Valley happens as the sun sets. A Martian glow covers the land. We’ve made it. All 268 miles on a single charge. We’ve exceeded the EPA-estimated range by nine miles and the Little Bolt That Could still shows 33 miles left on the display. But we can’t stop here. This is bat country.
Anyone looking for an M badge on a V-8-powered all-wheel-drive 8-series must feel a little spoiled. Not only has the existing M850i been bettered by a range-topping M8 (including the option of a pricier Competition pack), but with coupe, convertible, and four-door Gran Coupe variants available, there are now nine choices. The M8 leans on the same powertrain we experienced in the M5. The regular car brings 600 horsepower; the Competition boosts that to 617 and uses stiffer engine mounts, a front suspension featuring more camber, and ball-jointed toe-control links in the rear. Those the numbers three chassis modifications promVehicle Type: front-engine, rear/ ise improved turn-in and handling all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe over non-Comp models. Plus, the Base ................. $134,995–$147,995 hotted-up M8 gets that all-importEngines: twin-turbocharged and ant Competition badge, so your intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.4-liter V-8, 600 or 617 hp, 553 lb-ft buddies will know you spent the Transmission: 8-speed automatic extra $13,000. Dimensions Not that the Competition lacks • Wheelbase ............................ 111.3 in • L/W/H ................. 191.8/75.1/53.6 in refinement. It brings impressive • Curb Weight ....................... 4400 lb ride compliance and a chassis that Performance deals more in grip than slip. Trac• 60 mph .......................... 2.8–2.9 sec • 100 mph ......................... 7.4–7.5 sec tion is ample, and there’s little • 1/4-Mile ...................... 10.8–11.0 sec sense of the all-wheel-drive sys• Top Speed .................. 155–190 mph tem’s claimed rearward torque EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ..... 17/15/21 mpg bias except under hard use or deliberate provocation. The M8’s steering also delivers far more natural feedback than the M850i’s. The new electrohydraulic brake booster, though, felt slightly disconnected in humdrum traffic. The regular M8 is about $22,000 more than the M850i, but we struggle to see much of a reason to buy the cheaper car. The pure M model gives away almost nothing in everyday usability and feels at least 20 grand more special.
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