The BMW M8 Coupe has been launched in India at Rs 2.15 crore and we cannot stop talking about it. It is certainly one of the most exciting cars of 2020. Its closest rival in India is the Mercedes-AMG S 63 Coupe but the Bimmer arguably gets all the right ingredients – powerful motor, opulent cabin, cutting edge technology and stunning design. Let’s delve into some facts that make the M8 Coupe so special.
Under that long hood of the M8 sits the most powerful BMW M engine ever produced. The same engine does duty in the M5 range and the X5 M and X6 M as well. The 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 produces 600hp and 750Nm of torque in the M8 Coupe while in the M8 Competition Coupe available internationally, it makes 25 extra horses. It puts down all this power through an 8-speed automatic transmission sourced from ZF, that helps it achieve a 100kmph in 3.3 seconds along with a top whack of 305kmph. That’s supercar territory.
Let’s talk about the BMW M hierarchy. The M8 Coupe’s jaw-dropping power figures and an absolutely stunning design command the top spot on the M Performance food chain. Below the M8 however sits the M5 Competition. Now some people may argue that the M8 is basically an M5 with a different body shell. But there’s more to this than meets the eye. The M8 gets proper motorsport derived technology (more details below) and its smaller dimensions make a big impact on its on-road dynamics. Moving on, below the M5 sit two M cars, the M4 (sold internationally) and the M2. A similar M tree can be drawn for the M performance SUVs as well.
For the first time in the German carmaker’s history, the company developed a race car and then translated learnings onto a series production car. BMW purpose built the M8 GTE from ground up for endurance racing. Naturally, it packs an aggressive aero package and BMW also prioritised performance by making optimum use of space available in the car to improve track performance. Powered by a downsized 4-litre V8 engine, the M8 GTE has already made a name for itself in international racing championships like the 12 hours of Sebring and the 24 hours of Le Mans.
If you want to add more kit to your stock M8, then BMW offers some crazy personalisation options. Let’s see the most compelling ones and the cost associated with them in India.
1) Carbon engine cover – Rs 2.25 lakh
2) Alcantara headliner – Rs 2.2 lakh
3) Driving assistant – Rs 2.23 lakh
4) Active cruise control with stop and go function – Rs 2.82 lakh
5) Driving assistant professional – Rs 5.5 lakh
6) Sports exhaust – Rs 2.50 lakh
7) Driver’s package – Rs 4.32 lakh
8) Carbon ceramic brakes – Rs 15.5 lakh
9) Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround sound – Rs 7.85 lakh
10) BMW Night Vision with person recognition – Rs 3.88 lakh
The M8 is absolutely loaded to the brim with technology and driver assistance systems. The drive setting is one such exciting feature, especially for enthusiasts. Drivers can choose 4WD, where the torque transfer varies between all four wheels depending on individual wheel traction, 4WD Sport where the drive is essentially rear biased for some controlled fun and a pure 2WD mode where all the torque goes to the rear wheels allowing a classic front-engined rear-wheel-drive set-up to smoke the rear tyres up. You can even turn the traction control completely off for zero intervention from the electronics.
The M8 is available in India via the CBU route and is certainly one of the most compelling two-door luxury sports performance coupes out there. We can't wait for the automotive business to get back on track so that we can get behind the wheels of such exciting cars and bring you fresh updates and thrilling reviews.