M8 even bigger and bolder

BMW: COUPE AND CABRIOLET GET TWO SIBLINGS - STANDARD AND COMPETITION GRAN COUPE

Likely that only Competition trim will be offered in South Africa, however.

BMW has completed the M8 range by taking the covers off of the Gran Coupe in “standard” and Competition forms.

Following the Coupe and Cabriolet derivatives, launched in June, the Gran Coupe’s obvious difference to the coupe lies in its four-door body style that lengthens it by 201mm and by 231mm in wheelbase, while the height has been raised by 61mm and the width increased by 30mm.

Like its fixed and drop-top siblings, the Gran Coupe receives a redesigned front and rear apron, M side vents, a wider lower air intake with larger side vents on the bumper, widened wheel arches, a double black bar kidney grille, aerodynamically optimised mirrors and quad exhausts integrated into the diffuser.

Unique to the competition is a black outer finish for the grille, high-gloss black mirror caps, black exhaust outlets that identify the M Sport exhaust, optional 20-inch forged M light alloy wheels and the optional carbon-fibre pack that sees a carbon finish being applied to the front intakes, diffuser and spoiler, mirror caps and side vents.

Only 400 M8 Gran Coupes will be made.

Underneath its skin, the Gran Coupe boasts the same M-tuned electro-mechanical power steering system with two modes; comfort and sport, as well as the revised chassis, M-adaptive suspension with three modes; comfort, sport and sport+ and a steel X-brace, plus aluminium transverse strut for improved rigidity.

Also standard is the Active M differential, incorporating an M dynamic mode and a choice of two brake options; the M compound stoppers or the optional M carbon ceramics whose discs measure 400mm at the front and 380mm at the rear.

Unique to the competition is a stiffer chassis and ball joints, instead of rubber mounts on the rear axle.

Its interior mirrors that of the coupe and cabriolet with the same M touches and material options, though with full merino leather in taruma brown on the first edition. As expected, boot space is up on the coupe with a claimed capacity of 440 litres.

The similarities with the coupe and cabriolet extend to underneath the bonnet where the 4.4-litre bi-turbo V8 produces 441kW/750Nm in the standard and 460kW in the Competition with torque being kept unchanged. Like its siblings and, indeed, the M5, the Gran Coupe’s sends its power to all four wheels via BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system with three drive modes; 4WD, 4WD sport and 2WD, through an eight-speed sport Steptronic gearbox.

Although top speed is pegged at 250km/h or 305km/h with the optional M driver’s package, the M8 will complete the 0-100km/h dash in 3.3 seconds versus the competition’s 3.2 seconds.

Heading for its official public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month, BMW South Africa has already confirmed that the M8 Gran Coupe will arrive in the first quarter of next year, but seemingly in Competition trim only.