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BMW M8 Coupe And Convertible Makes Online Debut

Published on Wed, Jun 5, 2019

By: Andrew Beckford

The BMW M8 coupe and convertible is finally here after being teased for so long. All the fans of the 8 series can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

So, what does the 2020 BMW M8 coupe and convertible have to offer? Quite a bit actually. As one might assume, the M8 has a punched up version of twin-turbo V8 found in a standard 8 series coupe. The M8 gets a 77 horsepower bump over the base model, bringing its total output to 600 horsepower. But wait, there’s more! There is a “competition package” available for the M8 which brings an additional 17 horsepower on top of the 600 offered with the M8. To back up the horsepower a stout 553 ft-lbs of torque stand at the ready. A spicy bratwurst indeed.

All of that power and torque allows for a 0-60mph time of just 3 seconds despite the significant 4,295 lb curb weight of the coupe (4,590 lb curb weight for the convertible).

The 2020 BMW M8 coupe and convertible both come with a 8-speed “M Steptronic” transmission. The gearbox is tuned to the M8’s power and torque specifically. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a manual transmission will be available as an option. Although, this isn’t all that surprising as BMW has strayed away from putting clutch pedals in their larger cars for a while now.

The M8 features double wishbone suspension in the front and five-link suspension in the rear. There is an Adaptive M suspension electronic adjustment system in play and several user selectable driving modes. The competition package features a few extra driving modes that provide stiffer track day set ups. The competition package also has stiffer engine mounts and increased negative camber in the front for improved cornering.

Speaking of driving modes, there will be three to choose from: default, sport, and track. Also, in a much welcomed move, BMW has loosened their collar and allowed users to change the AWD settings. There is there standard AWD mode, an “AWD Plus” mode, and a 2 wheel drive mode! Yes, you can turn the 2020 BMW M8 coupe and convertible into big, honkin’, smoky drift machines! This is all thanks to the “Active M” differential that will come standard in the M8.

On the outside, the M8 differentiates itself from a standard 8 series coupe with the help of a carbon fiber roof (except the convertible, obviously), some blacked out accents including the kidney grills, and a redesigned front bumper featuring large air dams for cooling. There is an option for a few carbon fiber accents for a bit of extra flair. There will also be a whopping thirteen paint colors available as well.

The M8 interior is much of what you would expect. Lots of luxury, comfortable leather. Although one feature that I find questionable is an illuminated M badge in the headrest. It seems like having hard badge in the headrest like that would be uncomfortable.

I think the marquee interior feature is the BMW Connected companion app integrated within the M8’s infotainment system. The app allows users to connect their existing digital services so that they can do things beyond just navigation. Like make dinner reservations or buy movie tickets. It is compatible with iOS devices like the Apple Watch and iPhone but also compatible with Android devices as well like the Samsung Galaxy S10.

Alright, so here is the most important part: the price. As you may have guessed, all of this luxury, performance, and tech does not come cheap. The 2020 BMW M8 coupe starts at $133,000 MSRP while the convertible starts at $142,500 MSRP. The “competition” variants of each model tacks an additional $13,000 to the price. Needless to say, only stout wallets need apply.

Though, for what it's worth (and apparently it's worth well over six figures), the value for what you get seems to be decent. I guess we have to wait until reviews start before we know for sure if the BMW M8 coupe and convertible make good value propositions or not though. In the meantime, we can glare longingly at all the pictures provided to us by BMW. While you’re at it, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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