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2024 BMW M8
Starting at $
Highs: Classic BMW good looks, criminally quick and easy to tame, the rear-drive mode will burn tires like a hooligan.
Lows: Not exactly light, generous dimensions hide minuscule rear seats, needs a worthy exhaust note.
Verdict: The M8’s formidable power and grip excel at track days, and its grand luxury and comfort excel during long days on the interstate. Just don’t try to fit more than two people inside.
Overview
The 2024 BMW M8 combines some baffling specs. It’s as heavy as a Ford F-150, it’s quicker to 60 mph than a Ferrari F8 Tributo, it rips through the quarter-mile in the same time as a Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and it does all of this with a back seat and an implacable luxury poise those others don’t possess. Admittedly, the back seat isn’t practical for full-grown humans. Even so, the M8’s soothing cabin is one of the best places to experience what bodacious power delivery and all-wheel-drive traction can achieve together. Available as either a coupe or convertible (the four-door M8 Gran Coupe sedan is reviewed separately), the M8 represents the kind of comprehensively capable luxury GT we’re more used to seeing with an Aston Martin or Bentley badge and a far heftier price.
What’s New for 2024?
There are no changes for the 2024 model year, so the M8 carries over to the new year just as fabulous as it left 2023.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Competition Coupe: $140,795
M8 Convertible: $150,795
We’d recommend the convertible; you won’t lose any time at the track unless you hold a gold-level FIA racing license, and you can put the top down on the way to and from the circuit. Both body styles come standard with all manner of luxuries, so we’d select options that help unlock the M8’s full performance potential. These include the M Carbon ceramic brakes, which BMW says reduce weight and are built to better withstand track abuse. We’d add the M Driver’s package that marshals the car’s formidable power at the limit and includes one day of performance driving school. Even better, the package increases the top speed from 155 to 189 mph. We’d also get the Driving Assistance Professional Package and the neck warmers for more comfortable driving at everyday speeds and in all types of weather.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The M8’s long nose hides a twin-turbocharged V-8 that makes 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. It sends that power through an excellent eight-speed automatic and on to a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system that can disengage power to the front axle. After time spent in both the coupe and convertible, our only disappointment about the powertrain is the limp exhaust note. When we strapped our test gear to the 4251-pound M8 Competition coupe, we were blown away by its ridiculously quick acceleration, reaching 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds. Such explosive hustle deserves a hot-blooded song from the quad exhaust pipes. Small weaknesses emerge when pushing the M8, like minimal feedback through the thick steering wheel and a somewhat distant brake pedal feel. That said, those faults don’t overshadow the enormous grip, compliant ride, and astonishing nimbleness of a two-door weighing more than two tons.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
What the M8’s cockpit layout lacks in imagination it makes up for with rich, beautifully stitched leather and elegant ornamental trim, especially on the optional Merino leather two-tone interiors. Every M8 comes standard with tech and feel-good features like a digital gauge cluster set in a leather-covered dashboard, heated and ventilated front seats, remote engine start, customizable ambient lighting, wireless charging, and soft-close doors. With rear seats best reserved for toddlers and small packages, those who regularly shuttle more than two people will want to consider the roomier four-door M8 Gran Coupe. We stashed five carry-on suitcases in the trunk of a regular 8-series coupe, so we expect the M8 to provide the same amount of storage.
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