BMW M8 Competition Review - Evo Magazine

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An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard equipment, as is xDrive all-wheel drive, which naturally is rear-biased and features clever electronics to apportion torque to the correct wheels. The behaviour can be adjusted depending on the mode selected and, like the current M5, can send power to the rear wheels alone should you have a particular disdain for either rubber or your wallet (speaking of which, mpg in the high 20s is the most you’ll see on longer runs).

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BMW quotes a 0-62mph time of 3.2sec for the coupe and 3.3sec for the convertible M8 Competition, with a top speed limited to 155mph – or 189mph with the optional M Driver Package. There’s absolutely no doubt that this is a quick car, with pull from a standstill impressive, but there’s little to encourage you to reach for the redline. It lacks the top end urgency and zing of something like a G81 M3 Touring and the new hybrid M5, even if you reach big numbers just as quickly.

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One surprise is the gearbox. You can change with the paddles – swift, if not as sharp as a dual-clutch ‘box – but even left in auto the electronics are clever enough to almost always give you the right gear at the right time. Few will take their M8s on track, but it’s about as friendly and undemanding as track-driving gets. Set the shifts to their quickest speed and you get a thump in the back at full throttle, but this feels a little inauthentic, and the synthetic ‘boom’ sound played through the speakers to coincide with them only detract from the experience further. Exhaust sound is great at cold start, but once that’s over, there’s little to be heard – the sound inside is not dissimilar to a four-cylinder, which is disappointing knowing how exotic this engine is in its make-up.