BMW M8 Base, Gran, Competition & More

Competition identifies the higher-output M8 setup. It has a 617-horsepower V8, M Sport exhaust, upgraded performance hardware, and firmer tuning. Since the later part of the first generation, U.S. M8s have used Competition specification across the lineup.

Early regular M8s have 600 horsepower and a more comfort-oriented setup. The Competition raises output to 617 horsepower and adds the M Sport exhaust, firmer tuning, stronger Competition hardware, and Track mode in the later Competition-only era.

The powertrain is essentially the same: both use the 617-horsepower V8, eight-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive. The Competition is a two-door coupe or convertible, while the Competition Gran Coupe adds four doors, five-passenger seating, and a more useful rear cabin.

No. In the Competition lineup, the Gran Coupe uses the same 617-horsepower twin-turbo V8 as the two-door coupe and convertible. Its main difference is the four-door body and added passenger usefulness, not reduced performance.

Gran Coupe means the four-door M8. Despite the name, it is the more sedan-like version, with five-passenger seating, substantially more rear legroom, and easier rear-seat access than the two-door coupe or convertible.

No. At launch, regular and Competition M8s were separate versions. In 2021, Competition content became an optional package on the U.S. Gran Coupe. From 2022 onward, the U.S. range became Competition-only across its body styles.

The M8 Gran Coupe is the practical pick. It has four doors, five-passenger seating, more rear legroom, and a more useful cargo area. A Competition Gran Coupe keeps those advantages while using the full 617-horsepower Competition drivetrain.

Pick the two-door Competition coupe if you want a fixed roof, or the Competition convertible if open-air driving matters more. Both put style and a close-coupled cabin ahead of rear-seat access while retaining the 617-horsepower drivetrain on newer models.

Pick the coupe for a fixed-roof grand-touring shape. Pick the convertible for open-air driving. In Competition form they share the same 617-horsepower V8 and core performance hardware, so the decision mainly comes down to roof style and how you plan to use the car.

Yes, if 600 horsepower is already enough and you prefer the core luxury grand-touring experience. The regular early M8 still has the twin-turbo V8, rear-biased all-wheel drive, adaptive suspension, leather seating, and a well-equipped cabin.

Early regular M8 coupe and convertible models include a 600-horsepower V8, all-wheel drive, adaptive suspension, heated and ventilated leather sport seats, a digital gauge cluster, Apple CarPlay, and Harman Kardon audio.

The Competition setup adds more than 17 horsepower. It also brings the M Sport exhaust, firmer performance tuning, M Compound brakes, and selectable all-wheel-drive modes. In the Competition-only era, this hardware is standard across M8 body styles.

Yes. Newer M8 Competition models include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through the BMW touchscreen system. The refreshed cars use a 12.3-inch central display, while earlier M8s had a 10.25-inch touchscreen.