The 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe and its Competition variant have arrived. As expected, the four-door M8 packs some serious grunt, but this particular car stands out for being extremely purple. You know what? I’ll take it. It’s a great looking car, and going for purple, blue, or orange (as BMW’s M Division does with its reveals), is better than the endless sea of white, black or gray you’d normally expect with executive cars.
The power figures don’t hurt, either. Like its similarly-sized M siblings, the 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe packs 600 horsepower courtesy of a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8. Opt for the Competition model, and that power goes up to 617 horsepower. Torque remains the same either way, at 553 lb-ft. Both cars also get all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Make no mistake, the 2020 M8 Gran Coupe Competition is seriously quick. It sprints from 0-60 in 3.0 seconds, while the standard model takes 3.1 seconds, according to BMW. Top speed is limited to 155, unless buyers get the M Driver’s Package. In that case, the top speed increases to 190 mph. The package also offers professional training at BMW’s Performance Driving School, which you’ll definitely want to take if you plan on driving anywhere near that fast in these hyper-expensive four-door coupes.
On the subject of price, don’t expect all that power, those looks, and the sheer tech BMW packs into the M8 Gran Coupe to come cheap. The 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe starts at $130,995 including destination, while the Competition costs $143,000. For that, you do get larger 15.6-inch ventilated brake discs up front, and 15.0-inches in the rear. M carbon ceramic brakes are an option, albeit an expensive one, for those who want more stopping power.
The M8 Gran Coupe also has a slightly wider track, as well as a standard M Carbon Roof and BMW’s adaptive LED headlights. Much of the interior, including the Live Cockpit instrument panel and 10.3-inch infotainment system, are similar to what’s on the rest of the 8 Series range. As this is an M model, the M8 Gran Coupe has two M Mode buttons to configure drive settings.
The 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe will start production next month. If you really want something exclusive, BMW plans a limited First Edition model following the market launch. No pricing information is available on that one just yet. However, odds are it will be significantly more expensive, as BMW will limit production to just 50 units in the U.S. It does come in Diamant Green Metallic, as shown on earlier concepts, and the color is unique to that model.
