- Photo gallery. See more images of the BMW M8 Competition here
BMW Motorsport could not miss the opportunity to boost the "flagship" of the 2020 range, the 8 Series. Among other things because - this time the chicken was the egg - the M8 GTE, the competition version designed in 2018 for the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the aim of competing with Porsche, Ferrari, Ford and Aston Martin.
The M8 road-however- has been called "Competition", although nothing has to do with racing, since it is not even its homologation base. But, on the other hand, it does contain much of its spirit and huge doses of power and performance.
BMW M has fully reinforced the 8 Series coupé and cabrio bodies to turn them into a rigid and lightweight monocoque (for example, the coupé mounts a carbon fiber roof), lowering the center of gravity and widening the tracks. And it has equipped them with intelligent all-wheel drive with the M XDrive system and the active central differential.
The driver can choose between Road, Sport or Track modes and go from driving a more or less sporty 4x4 to driving a rear-wheel drive with 625 hp and without traction control. Logically, the BMW M8 Competition has a clear target: the fan to shoot on the circuit on the occasion of "track days".
The other programs and electronic systems also help to this end: there is a pack of huge ceramic brakes and two electronic pedal sensitivity programs. Suspensions, engine response and steering are adjusted according to default parameters. Even the driver can design their own electronic settings and activate them on two programmable steering wheel buttons. The M Steptronic 8-speed gearbox (with torque converter), managed by the Drivelogic control unit, is added to the proper functioning of all this. It can be operated with the steering wheel cams or automatically.
Under the endless front hood is the V8 M TwinPower 4.4 liter biturbo engine, with 625 hp of power and 750 Nm of torque between 1,800 and 5,800 rpm, offering a smooth and progressive response, but also a kick in the back when it is stepped in depth (0 to 100 in 3.2 "). It can take us to 305 Km / h - really - in a sigh ...
All-wheel drive (with preponderance of the rear axle) and dynamic stability control specially adjusted by BMW M keep the car glued to the road despite the cavalry. But if we enter a closed circuit, we can recover the essence of the great BMW coupes, eliminating front-wheel drive and traction control, unloading the 625 hp on the two rear wheels!
You might think that Motorsport has turned the stately 8 Series into a Spartan and sports car. Nothing is further from reality: the interior is full of luxury, leather, noble materials, electronic aids, soundproofing, air conditioning ... German luxury. That aside the infinite list of customizations "a la carte" (BMW Individual) offered to customers who disburse between 192,000 and 200,000 euros of base price.
The convertible version - officially Cabrio - has an electric hood that folds or unfolds in 15 seconds, even when running at low speed, as tight and silent as the coupe roof. Aerodynamically, despite its fluidity, it loses a tenth of a second in acceleration from 0 to 100 with respect to it.
Other body details (spoilers, vents, bumpers ...), apart from the huge 20 "wheels, differentiate the M8 Competition from its brand brothers. Although only hearing the bellow of the V8 by the special exhaust is enough visiting card.
Even so, the M8 Competition is still a Gran Turismo, a great high-performance wheeler, we could say that two-seater, taking into account the little space for subsequent passengers, even if it is a 2 + 2 (more usable in the cabrio discovered). For more occupants, BMW offers the M8 Grand Tourer, with four doors and more rear seat space.
The "M" family is growing every year, as sales of these "emotional" sports versions increased 32% last year. The star of this should be the small M2 CS, with 460 HP of power, although the brand also expects a lot from the SUV X5 M and X6 M.
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