The New BMW M8 Gran Coupe Is Just As Bonkers Fast As The Two-Door
Consider this delightful dilemma. You want a BMW M8, but it’s not practical enough. You could go for the M5, but it leaves you wanting for style. Thankfully, BMW has recognised this potential plight and engineered a solution: the M8 Gran Coupe.
We all knew it was coming - don’t forget, BMW chose to first preview the M8 with a four-door Gran Coupe concept at the Geneva Motor Show last year. And while the production version is understandably less spangly, it’s quite a handsome brute, don’t you think?
The coupe version of the BMW M8 is a car we struggled to work out at the launch last month, but in this more practical guise, it might just make more sense. How much more practical? Well, the wheelbase is 200mm longer, making room for both the extra pair of doors and the knees of whoever fancies sitting in the back and being taken for a 616bhp ride. At least they’ll be able to keep themselves cool thanks to the new four-zone climate control system.
Boot space hasn’t been mentioned, but it should match the regular 8-series Gran Coupe‘s 440-litre luggage compartment. If your M8 needs to take a particularly bulky load, the rear bench has a 40-20-40 split-folding arrangement.
The weight penalty for all this extra practicality? A mere 70kg. As such, the M8 Gran Coupe - powered by the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 as the two-door - hasn’t lost any performance. In Competition form, the M8 GC will go from 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds, and if you tick the right option, it’ll go on to a top speed of 189mph.
The 592bhp base M8 - which won’t be available in the UK - is only a tenth behind. It does, however, lose some of the Comp’s snazzier suspension tweaks like increased negative camber, and it misses out of some of the fancy drive modes.
Power is sent to all four wheels, although it is possible to switch to ‘2WD’ mode and have the rears powered only, while also switching off traction and stability controls. If that sounds like a recipe for big tyre bills and/or a big crash to you, there’s the 4WD Sport mode to consider. This gives the M8 a much greater rear bias, while still giving the safety net of powered front wheels.
Like what you see? You’ll be required to put down £120,935 before any options. This puts the M8 Gran Coupe right in the crosshairs of the Porsche Panamera Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG GT 4 Door.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Looks like all those dated BMW m6 gran coupes are going to be replaced by this soon. Looks great, not sure if it competes with the Panamera and GT 4-door.
but the m6 looks distinct when compared to other cars, which is why I like it the most, so hopefully, they don’t stop the production
Nice
That diffuser and exhaust is insanity.
Panamera is slower, I don’t like the looks of GT 4 door. So I’d buy M8 GC, if I’d have the cash that is.
That color though… It looks stunning.
if i could, i would much rather have an m blue or the green from the concept reveal (personal opinion before i get hated)
Still prefer the M6 gran coupe, to me this car is pointless…
Still looks good tho*
Getting really tired of clearly defined categories being stretched. This is a sedan, not a coupe. A good looking sedan at that… but why even have categories if they are just going to be ignored?
Part of what defines a coupe is having 2 doors. So next year we can expect to have a “cabriolet” with fixed roof but a large sunroof, because it captures the essence of a true cabriolet.
where tf do u see “ coupe “ here ? its GranCoupe
Of course it’s just as fast as the coupe version. People don’t drive coupes because they’re faster, they drive them because they look better. Having proper full-size doors and uncompromised cabin space is another plus.
BMW is for people who have no idea what they want. So many different configuration to the point that all of them are actually the same car. May be just the M2 is different.
BMW has definitely changed from it’s older days, but i wouldn’t say its for people who don’t know what they want (although those people definitely would like this car). i think it takes a certain type of taste to want this car, and besides, who doesn’t love having a lot of options for what to buy?
The back of this car looks incredible