BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe looks just that bit better than the two-door, we reckon.
BMW has taken the wraps off two new four-door sports cars, the M8 Gran Coupe and M8 Competition Gran Coupe.
A replacement for the old 6 Series Gran Coupe, the four-door versions in the 8 Series range combine “standout performance” with “distinctive body design” and importantly, more space for your family and friends!
They are derived directly from the new BMW M8 Coupe and were developed alongside the BMW M8 GTE endurance racer, BMW says.
The new BMW M8 Gran Coupe and hotter M8 Competition Gran Coupe will premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2019, with a worldwide market launch in April 2020.
The BMW M8 Gran Coupe First Edition will also launch, which presumably includes special trim pieces not found in the “normal” Gran Coupe.
What are the engines in the BMW M8 Gran Coupe and M8 Competition Gran Coupe?
The 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 in the new M8 Gran Coupe and M8 Competition Gran Coupe puts out 600hp and 625hp respectively.
The now-familiar BMW 4.4-litre V8 powers the new BMW M8 Gran Coupe and the hotter Competition variant.
It develops 600hp in the M8 Gran Coupe and 625hp in the M8 Competition Gran Coupe, the same as the Coupe/Convertible variants.
The duo also gets a sports exhaust system and eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic.
All that power propels the M8 Gran Coupe to 100km/h from rest in 3.3 seconds and the new M8 Competition Gran Coupe in 3.2 seconds, identical figures to the Coupe.
The M xDrive all-wheel-drive system channels the engine’s power via the Active M Differential at the rear axle. While in 4WD mode, the M xDrive system has a rear-biased configuration.
You can then use the Setup menu to select 4WD Sport mode, which sends an even higher proportion of drive to the rear wheels.
And if you were so brave, deactivating DSC activates 2WD mode, with drive fed exclusively to the rear wheels.
Stiffer chassis, braking feel
Being designed for track use means the BMW M8 Gran Coupe and M8 Competition GC get extremely stiff mountings connecting the suspension to the body.
Standard specification includes electronically controlled dampers and electromechanical M Servotronic steering. In M-specific configuration, the new integrated braking system enables two different brake pedal settings, Comfort and Sport.
BMW’s latest four-door sports cars get a stretched silhouette and muscular shoulders compared with the Coupe.
Large air intakes, M gills on the side panels, aerodynamically optimised exterior mirrors, a rear spoiler and other M-specific features provide the finishing touches.
The BMW M8 Gran Coupe First Edition (limited to 400 units) will be offered at launch; its exclusive design cues include a BMW Individual Aurora Diamond Green metallic paint finish for the exterior with accents in Gold Bronze.
The wheelbase of the GC models is 200mm longer than that of the two-door variants of the new BMW M8.
This brings “exceptional spaciousness” to the rear compartment, BMW says, while a third rear seat is available for short journeys.
During our very short time with the new M8 Competition Gran Coupe, that “exceptional spaciousness” wasn’t readily apparent, but it sure had faaar more space than the Coupe or Convertible.
Tweak it to your heart’s content
The M1 and M2 buttons are for you to store your favourite track-burning modes.
Just like the M8 Competition Coupe, a setup button on the M8 Gran Coupe’s centre console gives the driver direct access to the settings for the engine, dampers, steering, M xDrive and braking system.
Two individually composed variants of the M Setup can be stored and called up using the M buttons on the steering wheel.
Also, the M Mode button on the centre console allows the driver assistance systems and the instrument cluster or Head-Up Display screens to be configured as required.
And again like the Competition variants of the Coupe/Convertible, the new M8 Competition Gran Coupe gets the more hardcore Track mode in addition to Road and Sport.
The exclusive standard equipment on both four-doors includes Adaptive LED Headlights with BMW Laserlight, an M-specific BMW Head-Up Display, M sports seats, the Driving Assistant and the Parking Assistant.
You also get as standard BMW Live Cockpit Professional, complete with navigation system and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
