One of my favourite things to do in the office — don’t tell the boss — is logging onto manufacturers websites and configuring cars that I can’t afford in outlandish specs. And my new favourite one? the BMW M8. It is a properly good looking car, easily one of the most beautiful BMWs of late. It’s got some serious firepower too — 592bhp and an earth shattering 750Nm of torque, thanks to a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8. This makes the M8 one of the most ideal weapons to cover long distances at speed, and in comfort. This also makes speccing the M8 a very interesting exercise — should you give it a sportier look with a bright colour and black rims or a more luxurious one? That’s the beauty of these configurators, you can do what you like! So, let’s break it down.
You have two main options here — paint and rims. There are six standard paint options which add no cost to your build ranging from — ‘Brands Hatch Grey’ to ‘Motegi Red Metallic’. If you prefer something fancier, you can also spec one of three premium metallic colours that cost an additional Rs 4.25 lakh. Still not cool enough for you? Well, there’s nine additional colours — seven of which are part of the BMW Individual range and cost Rs 6.7 lakh. One is ‘Frozen Bluestone Metallic’ which is a matte silver with a blue tinge to it and costs Rs 6.7 lakh as well. The final one is a very special colour indeed — Pure Metal Silver. BMW aficionados should recognise the name as it is the most expensive BMW paint to date. It initially made headlines when it was offered with the F10 BMW M5 and is now famous for an almost liquid, chrome-like effect that it has. The price? A whopping Rs 14.5 lakh.
There are a total of four rim options to choose from. A 19-inch style is offered as standard, and there are three 20-inch options that will cost you between Rs 3.1 lakh to Rs 3.73 lakh.
On the inside too there are two main options — upholstery and trims. There are two standard colour options for the interior — a grey and black combination and a full black spec. If you want something a bit more special there is a lot to choose from. Five options that include an orange, grey and beige, will cost an additional Rs 15.5 lakh but get the extended leather package. Still not enough? BMW offers two BMW Individual options that cost Rs 17.5 lakh but also include the BMW Individual Alcantara headliner.
In terms of trims, there are four choices, all of which are no-cost options and include a carbonfibre finish.
This is where things get really interesting, and expensive. In India, the standard car is already pretty well optioned. The BMW Display Key, laser headlights, sports seats and Harmon Kardon sound system are already included in the base price. That’s not to say you can’t go berserk with the options list. Want seatbelts that have the M stripe stitched on them? Sure, that’d be Rs 55,000. A carbon engine cover? Rs 2.25 lakh. But, cosmetics aside, there are some cool options we’d definitely like to see on the M8. The M Sport exhaust system is a must have to listen to the rumble of the V8 in all its glory, as is the M Driver’s package. The latter has no description on the website, but it usually includes a one-day course on performance driving and also unlocks the full 305kmph top whack of the M8. These aren’t cheap though, the exhaust costs Rs 3.5 lakh, while the M Driver’s Package costs Rs 4.3 lakh.
So, yes you can definitely spend a lot of money really fast on a well specced M8. However, some of the options are truly worth it. While I wouldn’t personally pay for the ‘M’ seatbelts, the M Sport exhaust is a must for me. I do agree that the Pure Metal Silver paintjob is a very expensive option but the engineering and work behind it does justify the cost — the car actually has to be pulled away from the standard assembly line for it to be painted in that colour! A rule of thumb for a good spec is if you have a bright exterior colour, you compliment it with a dark interior and vice-versa. So, if you think you have an eye for a good spec, we’re running a contest where all you have to do is build your ideal M8 and send in your entries to us. We'll select the 12 best ones and if yours is one of them, you stand a chance to win some really cool BMW merchandise including wallets, sling bags and caps. All you have to do is spec your M8 on BMW’s website, download the summary and email it to us at 'contest@gtopublishing.com', with the subject line ‘BMW M8 Spec’. You can read more about the terms & conditions for the contest here. Happy speccing!