BMW M8 Gran Coupe: The One We Always Wanted

When BMW took the covers off the all-new M8 coupe, I was openly underwhelmed by its overall presence when compared to the M8 Gran Coupe Concept. However, the final production model of the same four-door super-luxury-GT has arrived and it is everything I wished it to be.

The extra length and swooping roofline of the M8 Gran Coupe just boost the car’s road presence to a whole another level. Now, all the proportions of the widebody design, muscular arches, large air vents and the integrated bootlip spoiler make sense. It is possibly one of the prettiest four-door coupes you can buy today.

BMW unveiled it in the best possible exterior paint finish called Aurora Diamond Green metallic to match the Geneva concept with golden accents. It even gets Corona-yellow laser headlights. However, this particular look is reserved for the First Edition of the M8 Gran Coupe, of which only 400 units will be sold. For extra exclusivity, there is the “8-of-8” series. These are the first eight M8 Gran Coupes to roll off the factory and get special 1 of 8 badges on the outside and the inside of the car. Apart from the badging, these 8 units also get Merino leather upholstery in Taruma Brown to complement the bronze-gold accents. While the First Edition M8 Gran Coupe is scheduled will start getting built in March 2020, these 1 of 8 models built to exact same specification are ready for delivery. The exclusivity comes with a price tag, the highest possible for a brand-new BMW model today — US$230,00(approx) and they’re all spoken for.

The M8 Competition Gran Coupe is not only one of the priciest BMW models to buy today, but it is also the most powerful four-door option. It features the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that powers the M8 Competition Coupe that produces 616bhp and 750Nm. The standard-spec M8 Gran Coupe is no slouch either with 591bhp and the same torque on offer. It comes with M xDrive of course with an 8-speed M Steptronic autobox to send power to all four wheels, or just the rear wheels in 2WD mode. In fact, the M8 Gran Coupe gets just about all the clever bits of engineering you’d expect with M performance parts for that exxxtra driving pleasure. BMW says it can sprint to a 100kph in 3.2 seconds.

This four-door version is only 95kg heavier than the regular Coupe despite the extra doors, 200mm longer wheelbase, proper rear seats and extra strengthening. It even gets its own chassis setup, the Competition variant is further tuned for sharper driving dynamics and if you’re crazy enough – track use. BMW offers it with 20-inch M light-alloy wheels with gold-plated brake discs featuring the new integrated braking system with two settings.

There is nothing distinct about the interior of the M8 Gran Coupes over the regular models and that’s plenty. It’s the same level of luxury as the regular 8 Series with some M parts like the badges, the carbon fibre trim, the steering wheel with red M buttons along with M-specific content and graphics on the 12.3-inch digital cockpit and 10.25-inch central display. The extra features for the M8 Gran Coupe include seat ventilation, four-zone climate control and electric sun blinds for the rear seats.

The M8 Gran Coupe is a step above the super sedan like the M5. With a price tag of around US$150,000, it is BMW’s contender to the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 63 S 4-door Coupe, Porsche Panamera Turbo and the new Audi RS7 Sportback. Those are some serious rivals in terms of looks as well as performance which makes it that much harder to choose between them.

Would you pick the M8 Gran Coupe over the alternatives? Share your thoughts in the comments below, check out the M8 Gran Coupe gallery in detail and don’t forget to subscribe to The Auto Loons for more cool updates from the car world.