The BMW 7-Series is a remarkable automobile in its own right, but BMW needed something with just as much luxury (if not more) but a dash of exotic sportiness thrown into the mix. The brand revived the 8-Series nameplate in high style with the 850i coupe and the 850i Gran Coupe four-door. Now, that the 850i coupe has a high-powered M8 brother, it's high time an M8 Gran Coupe joined the group. The new photos are here, and we think it's BMW's most beautiful car. Just take a look at the lines on this thing.
The 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe is both luxury and performance-minded, and it houses the same big 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 as the M8 coupe. The engine is good for 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque (the same as the M5). In Competition trim, that power goes up to 617 horses (yes, like the M5, X5 M and X6 M in Competition trim). And just so you know, BMW doesn't make an M7, but it does make the M760i with 601 horses.
Although the M8 Gran Coupe has two more doors than the M8 coupe, the power delivers the same 0-0-60 sprint time of 3.1 seconds in regular trim, and 3 seconds flat in Competition guise. The top speed is a limited 155 mph, but if you get the M Driver's package, you can frighten yourself and your passengers with 190 mph. That's almost 200 mph for a big German sport-luxury sedan. Damn. What's more, it gets all-wheel drive four-seasons traction, but the system drives like a rear-wheel drive car for that special push-you-in-your-back feel when you mash the gas.
There are additional features that make it even more special: there's an extra cooler for the engine oil and transmission fluid, as well as a new oil pump and oil pan to keep the whole system cool and well-lubed when you're hammering it hard on the track. BMW thought of everything (except a stick shift!). And because drivers may actually drive this sucker hard, the transmission tunnel gets some carbon fiber reinforced plastic.
In terms of styling, we think the M8 Gran Coupe is more attractive than the two-door version. The elongated roofline fills out the shape well and matches the proportion of the long hood to the cabin. The big ducktail spoiler also looks gorgeous here, and the near-total absence of exterior chrome makes the M8 Gran Coupe look positively intimidating. The M8 gets a real carbon fiber roof that helps with weight (and looks great, at the same time).
BMW also lightened the car up by giving it aluminum in the doors, hood, engine subframe, front bulkhead, and rear bumper. Even the rear trunk is plastic (huh?), and the dashboard support is strong and lightweight magnesium. The tires are seriously wide and stagged with 275mm up front and 285mm in the back. Brake rotors are 15.5 inches with six pistons in front and a marginally smaller 15 inches in back with single pistons.
The BMW M8 Gran Coupe gets a double-wishbone front and five-link rear suspension, as well as the superb Adaptive M Suspension, which reads road conditions and adjusts the dampers. Press the M Mode button, with M1 and M2 settings, and the driver can customize the engine, suspension, steering, braking, and all-wheel-drive settings individually to match the selectable driving modes: Default Road, Sport, and Track. Upgrade to the Competition model, and you get bigger front brake rotors (15.75 inches) stiffer engine mounts, a dual-mode exhaust that's angrier, and suspension with more negative camber to better manage those track day turns.
Step inside the sumptuous cabin, and you'll find all the tech and features found in the M8 Coupe but with the added room of bigger back seats and a larger cabin. There are also special M-badge accents and a unique stitching pattern that's specific to the car. The BMW M8 Gran Coupe also gets the excellent Live Cockpit infotainment found on other high-end BMW models.
Rear passengers (only two) get roomy accommodations, their own HVAC and seat controls, but there are no measures for carsickness when the driver starts capitalizing on the car's performance capabilities. The M8 Gran Coupe is also longer and taller than the two-door version, giving rear passengers 3.4 inches more rear headroom and 7.1 inches more legroom than in the M8 Coupe. The trunk also gets upsized to the tune of 0.7 more cubic feet.
The first set of M8 Gran Coupes, simply titled "First Edition" (photo below), get special dark green paint with bronze trim bits based on the concept vehicle. Only 400 of them will be made (50 of them allocated for the States), and they'll be specially badged inside and out. All of them get the Competition package, and they will be built next spring.
The base M8 Gran Coupe has a base MSRP of $130,995, and the Competition will cost $143,995. There's no word on the undoubtedly higher price of the First Edition. Shockingly, both M8 Gran Coupes (base and Competition) will cost less than their two-door brothers ($133,995 and $146,995, respectively). Look for the M8 Gran Coupes to be built toward the end of 2020.