We recently had the opportunity to see what a 2022 BMW Competition M8 Gran Coupe is like on the German Autobahn and the winding roads of the Bavarian Alps. I picked up our gorgeous San Marino Blue M8 Competition Gran Coupe at the press center in Munich.
Immediately we set out south, working our way through the heavy Munich traffic until finally hitting the A8 Autobahn headed to the Bavarian Alps. Much of the Autobahn is traffic limited in terms of how fast you can go but I did manage to punch it a few times and the acceleration above 100mph is staggering. The other amazing thing about this car is just how stable it is at such high speeds.
For 2022, BMW distilled the M8 option list into what I imagine everyone looking for a six-figure car wants, and that’s basically everything. In doing so, the M8 now comes in only one flavor. The M8 Competition with 617 horsepower, M Exhaust, neatly packaged and essentially decreasing the MSRP by about $14,000.
Power
The heart of the M8 Competition Gran Coupe happens to be one of the best engines BMW has made. The 4.4 liter Twin-Turbo V8 engine twists out 617 hp and 553 ft-lbs of torque (750 Nm). Power is routed through an ingenious all-wheel-drive system called M xDrive that can fully vary all power to all four wheels or if the driver desires the rear wheels only. The end result is that this engine and its power delivery system make the M8 Gran Coupe feel like it’s clawing at the pavement. Power delivery is instantaneous and with the 8-speed automatic transmission firing off rapid shifts, 0-60 comes in just 3.0 seconds and 0-100 km/hr at 3.2 seconds. The top speed is a staggering 195 mph.
Not only is the M8 Gran Coupe a rocket from 0-60, its acceleration over 100 mph is breathtaking. When we finally hit an opening on the Autobahn, I nailed the accelerator. Oh that exhaust note! The transmission immediately dropped a couple of gears and we shot down the road. The longer wheelbase of the M8 Gran Coupe, low center of gravity, and immense grip from the 20 inch wheels make for an amazing amount of hight speed stability.
Our trip to Berchtesgaden, Germany went by way too fast.