Term
Initial payment (months)
New
BMW M8 Convertible
M8 Competition 2dr Step Auto
3.3 secs
0 - 62
155 mph
Top speed
24.6 mpg
Fuel consumption
625 bhp
Power
50E
Insurance group
350 litres
Boot space
Leasing this car includes.
Manufacturers warranty
In the event of an unexpected mechanical issue, you're all covered!
Road tax
That's right, all deals include road tax. No hassle. No fuss. No fees.
Breakdown cover
Just in case worst comes to worst. You'll never be left stranded.
- Overview
- Specification
155 mph
Top speed
625 bhp
Power
3.3 secs
0-62
4395 cc
Engine size
24.6 mpg
Fuel consumption
263 g/km
CO2
Petrol
Fuel
Four Wheel Drive
Drive-train
Key features.
- Navigation system
- Bluetooth Hands free facility with USB audio interface and Voice Control
- Automatic air conditioning with 2-zone control
- Front/rear park distance control (PDC)
- Parking assistant plus with 360 degree surround view camera system and remote 3D view
- DAB Tuner enables digital radio reception
- LED daytime running lights
Yet another ‘M’ model in BMW’s impressive lineup, experience sporty driving pleasure at the highest level with the M8 Convertible. Quality inside and out, you can embrace the open road … with the roof down.
How much is it to insure?
Compare insurance quotes for this BMW M8. With our compadres at Comparethemarket.
Sell your car the Motorway way.
Get your best offer from over 5,000 dealers and sell completely online, it's 100% free.
BMW M8 review.
BMW thinks this M8 Competition model is the closest it's yet got to the all-conquering Porsche 911. But is it? Jonathan Crouch looks at the updated version
Ten second review.
BMW's M8 Competition models have been usefully updated. As before, they provide a real alternative to more exotically-badged super saloons and high performance luxury sporting coupes and convertibles, offering searing speed, sleek styling and an engine that has few peers.
Background.
BMW's M division certainly knows how to build driver-focused sports cars. The M8 Competition though, is something slightly different - a larger, more luxurious driver-focused GT. Offered in Coupe, four-door Gran Coupe or, as in this case, Convertible form, it delivers masterful performance - on a major scale. If you must have the ultimate BMW, then this may well be it. It's tempting to think of this model as nothing more than an M5 saloon in a more sporting suit. After all, it shares the same 625hp V8 twin-turbo engine, much of the same M Division technology and, as a result, pretty much the same performance figures. BMW though, thinks differently, pointing out that this car has a stiffer set-up, a shorter wheelbase body and cleaves a cleaner path through the air. Whatever your perspective though, this M8 Competition model, available in Coupe, Gran Coupe or Convertible form, looks to be a devastatingly effective piece of high performance engineering. The kind of car in which, for instance, you might drive to the Alps - but take in the Nurburgring on the way. Developed in parallel with the M8 GTE endurance racing car, it's a force to be reckoned with. Especially in this updated form.
Design and Build.
The M8 Competition models aim to display the hallmark proportions of luxury-class sports cars whether you choose two-door Coupe, four-door Gran Coupe or Convertible. For this updated model, an 'M lights Shadow Line' exterior trim package will be available via the Visibility Pack for the first time, opening up extra scope for individualising the car's appearance. The dark finish for the inlays and chrome detailing inside the headlight units help to give the front end a more eye-catching and sporty feel, an effect enhanced by the standard High-gloss Black finish for the BMW kidney grille surround. Passengers in the Convertible version are protected from the elements by a high-quality fabric roof pulled taut over the cabin. The multi-layer soft-top opens and closes in 15 seconds at the touch of a button while the electric mechanism can be activated while driving at up to 31mph. Once opened, the soft-top stows away flat under a high-quality cover whose surface structure matches that of the instrument panel, door and side-panel trim. As before, the interior is awash with high-precision details and features a driver-centric cockpit, with low-set sports seats featuring integral head restraints and trimmed in soft Merino leather. What's changed is the introduction of a larger 12.3-inch Central Information touchscreen display. And full Merino leather/Alcantara upholstery in the a freshly introduced Black/Sakhir Orange colour scheme brings even more contemporary style to the interior. There's space for a couple of small children in the rear of both the Coupe and the Convertible variants - and a couple of adults will fit quite comfortably in the back of the Gran Coupe model. On all body styles, the backrest sections can be folded down either individually or together in order to further increase load capacity. Out back, there's a 420-litre boot in the Coupe model; it's 440-litres in size with the Gran Coupe and 350-litres with the Convertible.
Market and Model.
Pricing for this improved M8 Competition model range starts at around £123,000 for the four-door Gran Coupe version, rising to around £126,000 for the two-door Coupe body style and around £133,000 for this Convertible variant. For this updated design, there are eight fresh exterior colours, you can choose a fresh 20-inch M light-alloy wheel star-spoke design and an 'M lights Shadow Line' exterior trimming package is available as part of the optional Visibility Pack. Otherwise, it's as you were. which means that standard equipment includes a sports exhaust and 20-inch M light alloy Star-spoke style Bicolour alloy wheels. Inside, there are heated 'M' sports seats trimmed in super-soft 'Merino' leather upholstery, carbonfibre cabin trim, soft-close doors and the BMW Live Cockpit Professional package, which gives you a 12.3-inch instrument binnacle dial display and a 10.25-inch centre-dash infotainment screen. If you've more to spend, you might want to consider the optional 'M Driver's package' which increases the top speed to 190mph and costs around £2,100 - which seems an awful lot to pay for a software tweak. That's also included as part of the optional 'Ultimate Package' which, for a cool £20,000 more, also gives you 'Laserlight' headlights, M carbon ceramic brakes, extra carbonfibre interior and exterior trimming, a thumping upgraded Bowers & Wilkins sound system, ventilated front seats, a TV tuner, an M Carbon engine cover and all the extra camera safety features of the optional 'Driving Assistant Professional' pack.
Cost of Ownership.
You won't be expecting a super sports car of this power and price to be in any way affordable to run - and this one isn't. If you get anywhere near the quoted WLTP combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 25.2mpg (that's for the Gran Coupe and the Convertible - it's 25.7mpg for the Coupe body style), then you shouldn't have bought this car in the first place and it'll deserve a better home: you know where we are. The WLTP-rated CO2 figures are 251g/km for the Coupe, 256g/km for the Gran Coupe and 255g/km for the Convertible. Routine maintenance is dictated by 'Condition Based Servicing' that monitors oil level and engine wear, taking into account how long it's been and how far the car has travelled since its previous garage visit. To help plan ahead for the cost of regular work, at point of purchase you'll be offered a 'BMW Service Inclusive' package that lasts for three years and 36,000 miles. With this, after a one-off payment, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that all normal work on the car has been paid for during this period, including items such as oil, spark plugs and filters. On to the warranty package. BMW offers a warranty that lasts for three years, no matter how many miles you complete. You can also insure your car through BMW, though as most M8s will be funded with company money through a lease deal, this brokerage fees are likely to be bundled into that.
Summary.
It really comes down to how driver-focused you want to be. If you want the most driver-orientated super sportscar you can buy for less than £200,000, this isn't it. If though, you want one that can combine Nurburgring Nordschiefe dynamics with GT luxury, then this M8 makes a very strong case for itself, especially in this updated form. It's certainly fast enough - and there's a competition-bred feel to the handling that rivals from Jaguar, Lexus and Audi can't quite match. A tougher question to answer lies in whether this car is worth nearly 25% more than BMW's mechanically rather similar M850i model. That's a question of personal preference of course. What's not up for debate is the way this M8 can make you feel, for its buyers delivering a perfect symbiosis of performance and exclusivity, dynamism and prestige. Or, to put it another way, a super car they could tail-out slide on a trackday, then cruise across Europe in afterwards. These people will love this M8, despite its high running costs and even higher price. There's a need, after all, to pay for the most consummate of pleasures. If you can afford to do that though, you'll find much to admire here. Powerful elegance - that's pitch-perfect.
BMW's M8 Competition models have been usefully updated. As before, they provide a real alternative to more exotically-badged super saloons and high performance luxury sporting coupes and convertibles, offering searing speed, sleek styling and an engine that has few peers.
BMW's M division certainly knows how to build driver-focused sports cars. The M8 Competition though, is something slightly different - a larger, more luxurious driver-focused GT. Offered in Coupe, four-door Gran Coupe or, as in this case, Convertible form, it delivers masterful performance - on a major scale. If you must have the ultimate BMW, then this may well be it. It's tempting to think of this model as nothing more than an M5 saloon in a more sporting suit. After all, it shares the same 625hp V8 twin-turbo engine, much of the same M Division technology and, as a result, pretty much the same performance figures. BMW though, thinks differently, pointing out that this car has a stiffer set-up, a shorter wheelbase body and cleaves a cleaner path through the air. Whatever your perspective though, this M8 Competition model, available in Coupe, Gran Coupe or Convertible form, looks to be a devastatingly effective piece of high performance engineering. The kind of car in which, for instance, you might drive to the Alps - but take in the Nurburgring on the way. Developed in parallel with the M8 GTE endurance racing car, it's a force to be reckoned with. Especially in this updated form.
The M8 Competition models aim to display the hallmark proportions of luxury-class sports cars whether you choose two-door Coupe, four-door Gran Coupe or Convertible. For this updated model, an 'M lights Shadow Line' exterior trim package will be available via the Visibility Pack for the first time, opening up extra scope for individualising the car's appearance. The dark finish for the inlays and chrome detailing inside the headlight units help to give the front end a more eye-catching and sporty feel, an effect enhanced by the standard High-gloss Black finish for the BMW kidney grille surround. Passengers in the Convertible version are protected from the elements by a high-quality fabric roof pulled taut over the cabin. The multi-layer soft-top opens and closes in 15 seconds at the touch of a button while the electric mechanism can be activated while driving at up to 31mph. Once opened, the soft-top stows away flat under a high-quality cover whose surface structure matches that of the instrument panel, door and side-panel trim. As before, the interior is awash with high-precision details and features a driver-centric cockpit, with low-set sports seats featuring integral head restraints and trimmed in soft Merino leather. What's changed is the introduction of a larger 12.3-inch Central Information touchscreen display. And full Merino leather/Alcantara upholstery in the a freshly introduced Black/Sakhir Orange colour scheme brings even more contemporary style to the interior. There's space for a couple of small children in the rear of both the Coupe and the Convertible variants - and a couple of adults will fit quite comfortably in the back of the Gran Coupe model. On all body styles, the backrest sections can be folded down either individually or together in order to further increase load capacity. Out back, there's a 420-litre boot in the Coupe model; it's 440-litres in size with the Gran Coupe and 350-litres with the Convertible.
Pricing for this improved M8 Competition model range starts at around £123,000 for the four-door Gran Coupe version, rising to around £126,000 for the two-door Coupe body style and around £133,000 for this Convertible variant. For this updated design, there are eight fresh exterior colours, you can choose a fresh 20-inch M light-alloy wheel star-spoke design and an 'M lights Shadow Line' exterior trimming package is available as part of the optional Visibility Pack. Otherwise, it's as you were. which means that standard equipment includes a sports exhaust and 20-inch M light alloy Star-spoke style Bicolour alloy wheels. Inside, there are heated 'M' sports seats trimmed in super-soft 'Merino' leather upholstery, carbonfibre cabin trim, soft-close doors and the BMW Live Cockpit Professional package, which gives you a 12.3-inch instrument binnacle dial display and a 10.25-inch centre-dash infotainment screen. If you've more to spend, you might want to consider the optional 'M Driver's package' which increases the top speed to 190mph and costs around £2,100 - which seems an awful lot to pay for a software tweak. That's also included as part of the optional 'Ultimate Package' which, for a cool £20,000 more, also gives you 'Laserlight' headlights, M carbon ceramic brakes, extra carbonfibre interior and exterior trimming, a thumping upgraded Bowers & Wilkins sound system, ventilated front seats, a TV tuner, an M Carbon engine cover and all the extra camera safety features of the optional 'Driving Assistant Professional' pack.
You won't be expecting a super sports car of this power and price to be in any way affordable to run - and this one isn't. If you get anywhere near the quoted WLTP combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 25.2mpg (that's for the Gran Coupe and the Convertible - it's 25.7mpg for the Coupe body style), then you shouldn't have bought this car in the first place and it'll deserve a better home: you know where we are. The WLTP-rated CO2 figures are 251g/km for the Coupe, 256g/km for the Gran Coupe and 255g/km for the Convertible. Routine maintenance is dictated by 'Condition Based Servicing' that monitors oil level and engine wear, taking into account how long it's been and how far the car has travelled since its previous garage visit. To help plan ahead for the cost of regular work, at point of purchase you'll be offered a 'BMW Service Inclusive' package that lasts for three years and 36,000 miles. With this, after a one-off payment, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that all normal work on the car has been paid for during this period, including items such as oil, spark plugs and filters. On to the warranty package. BMW offers a warranty that lasts for three years, no matter how many miles you complete. You can also insure your car through BMW, though as most M8s will be funded with company money through a lease deal, this brokerage fees are likely to be bundled into that.
It really comes down to how driver-focused you want to be. If you want the most driver-orientated super sportscar you can buy for less than £200,000, this isn't it. If though, you want one that can combine Nurburgring Nordschiefe dynamics with GT luxury, then this M8 makes a very strong case for itself, especially in this updated form. It's certainly fast enough - and there's a competition-bred feel to the handling that rivals from Jaguar, Lexus and Audi can't quite match. A tougher question to answer lies in whether this car is worth nearly 25% more than BMW's mechanically rather similar M850i model. That's a question of personal preference of course. What's not up for debate is the way this M8 can make you feel, for its buyers delivering a perfect symbiosis of performance and exclusivity, dynamism and prestige. Or, to put it another way, a super car they could tail-out slide on a trackday, then cruise across Europe in afterwards. These people will love this M8, despite its high running costs and even higher price. There's a need, after all, to pay for the most consummate of pleasures. If you can afford to do that though, you'll find much to admire here. Powerful elegance - that's pitch-perfect.
In case you missed anything.
Loading...