BMW UNLEASHES NEW M8
High-performance coupe and convertible receive more than 600hpof bi-turboV8 muscle
Is their power sourced from the M5?
After teasing the public with camouflaged cars for quite some time already, BMW has officially revealed the M8 Coupe and Convertible before a sales release later this year.
And yes, the M8 shares the same 4.4litre twin-turbo V8 with the M5 sedan and has been designed as an indirect replacement for the M6.
Power for the M8 is rated at 600hp, and an extra 25hp in Competition guise. The second-from-top M850i, meanwhile, produces 530hp leaving a neat gap in power from the new full-fat M car.
BMW says the M8 Coupe goes from 0-100kph in 3.3sec, 0.1sec quicker than the M5; the Competition brings the acceleration time down to 3.2sec.
Due to its porkier weight, the M8 Convertible is equally accelerative as the M5 and a tenth of a second inside the M8 Coupe in both power guises.
Does it also get that switchable all-wheel drive?
Likewise, the transmission in the M8 is shared with the M5, including the eightspeed torque-converter automatic and all-wheel drive, which can be engaged into pure rear-drive upon the request of the driver.
Naturally, the chassis has been upgraded in both M8s to cope with the increased levels of performance when compared to the regular 8 Series.
Carbon-ceramic brakes are available as an option and the stoppers have two
pedal settings, including easy-going travel or more instantaneous action.
There’s the M Carbon package, notably with the roof made from that lightweight material. Apart from logos and special interior trim coming in variouscolour combinations, M signature elements on the exterior include the chunky side-view mirrors and quad tail pipes.
Is it priced to kill?
That would largely depend on what cars you’re going to compare the M8 with. The M8 would be asking for around 15 million baht in Thailand, which is around 2 million more than the M850i. If you look at what Mercedes-Benz has to offer in the M8’s price range, there’s the more luxurious S560 Coupe (the AMG-fettled S63 Coupe is a more direct rival, albeit at a higher price).
And if genuine sportiness is your cup of tea, you can have the two-seat Mercedes-AMG GT or even the Aston Martin Vantage at that price point. The M8 might sound like a bargain in the game of high-end sports cars if you put into perspective the Bentley Continental GT W12 and Porsche 911 Turbo, both with some 600hp but costing north of 20 million baht.