BMWM8 Gran Coupe

　　

2023 BMW M8 Gran Coupe Review

byAlex NishimotoCorrespondent

　　Alex Nishimoto has worked in the automotive industry since 2007. He was a staff writer for MotorTrend for 10 years and since then has contributed to CNET, PRI, AutoWise and other publications.

　　, rating written byAlex NishimotoDirector, Vehicle Testing

　　Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at zzdcar, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

　　The BMW M8 Gran Coupe is the quickest, most powerful version of the brand's coupe-style sedan, the 8 Series Gran Coupe. The M8 variant sports the same basic four-door raked-roof hatchback design but ups the ante with aero-optimized bodywork, a performance-oriented adaptive suspension, extra-sticky summer tires and a 617-horsepower twin-turbocharged V8.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2023 BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition 4dr Sedan AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$260/mo  for M8 Gran Coupe Competition

　　M8 Gran Coupe Competition

　　Competition 4dr Sedan AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $134,100 MSRP

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　Last year, BMW upgraded all M8 Gran Coupes to the even higher-performance Competition spec. For 2023, changes include a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, optional M Carbon bucket seats, five new exterior colors, and M Shadowline accents within the housings of the Icon adaptive LED headlights. 

　　Despite being a fairly large sedan, the M8 Gran Coupe can hang with many high-end sports cars in a straight line. It's also surprisingly nimble in the turns and has powerful, confident brakes. But what the M8 Gran Coupe does best is blend all that performance with a healthy dose of luxury and comfort. In the right setting, the adaptive suspension does a fine job of soaking up bumps in the road and the cabin is remarkably quiet for a car with 20-inch wheels and thin-sidewalled performance tires.

　　The M8 Gran Coupe competes with other entrants in the four-door fastback category, including the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz AMG GT and Audi RS 7. How does it compare to its rivals? Find out by reading our Expert Rating below.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.3

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

9.0/10

　　How does the M8 Gran Coupe drive? It's hard to talk about how the M8 drives without resorting to hyperbole. We recorded a freakishly fast run to 60 mph: 3.1 seconds. For context, this large five-passenger, four-door sedan is just as quick as an Audi R8 and Acura NSX. If all the M8 did was go fast, that would be enough for some people. But it manages to leverage that power to deliver smooth, instantly accessible acceleration for whenever you need it on your daily drive.

　　If you're someone who loves a curvy road, the M8 may surprise you with how adept it is tackling those as well. It will keep up with all but the quickest and lightest sports cars through those curves and be way more comfortable and quiet doing it. Powerful brakes and sticky tires help the cause, and the M8 registered 104 feet stopping from 60 mph, another incredible figure. Dump that "weekend car" — you won't need it here.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the M8 Gran Coupe? As such a bruiser on the track, we half-expected the M8 Gran Coupe to be unlivable on the street, but that's not the case. It's far from the plushest ride in the segment, but it's not terrible at taking the edges off bumps in the road. The front seats deliver the comfort you'd expect from a luxury sedan with a host of adjustments for you to dial in the perfect amount of support. We wish the rear seatbacks had just a little bit more rake, though, and found the padding by the tailbone a bit uncomfortable.

　　The M8 is also one of the quieter cars in the class (with the exception of that V8 bark at startup). Wind and tire noise is kept well at bay, and the cabin is free of squeaks and vibrations. The climate controls, like those in many BMWs, aren't the most intuitive to use, but they do a decent job of maintaining a target cabin temp. We had a hard time telling if the seat ventilation was working.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below