The 2020 BMW M8 Competition is the hardest-edged version of BMW's 8 Series: a 617 hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter S63 V8 driving all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic, offered as Coupe, Convertible, or Gran Coupe. It suits a buyer who wants supercar acceleration with usable rear seats, a real trunk, and no drama in traffic.
Overview: Where the M8 Competition Sits
The 8 Series ladder in 2020 ran 840i, M850i xDrive, then M8 and M8 Competition. The first two are grand tourers wearing sporty clothing. The M8 is a proper M car built at the hands of M GmbH, with a reinforced structure, its own cooling package, and a rear differential that can lock fully.
So what does Competition actually add in the M8 vs M8 Competition question? Output climbs from 600 hp to 617 hp. Engine mounts are stiffer, which sharpens throttle response and lets more of the V8's texture into the cabin. You get the M Competition seats with illuminated badges, gloss black exterior trim including the kidney grille surround, and model-specific chassis tuning. In the United States, most 2020 examples on the market are Competitions, because that is what BMW pushed and what buyers ordered.
Specs and Performance
| Specification | Coupe | Convertible | Gran Coupe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 4.4L twin-turbo S63 V8 | 4.4L twin-turbo S63 V8 | 4.4L twin-turbo S63 V8 |
| Output | 617 hp | 617 hp | 617 hp |
| Torque | 553 lb-ft | 553 lb-ft | 553 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 8-speed M Steptronic automatic | 8-speed M Steptronic automatic | 8-speed M Steptronic automatic |
| Drivetrain | M xDrive AWD, selectable 2WD mode | M xDrive AWD, selectable 2WD mode | M xDrive AWD, selectable 2WD mode |
| 0-60 mph (BMW claim) | 3.0 sec | 3.1 sec | 3.0 sec |
| Top speed (limited) | 155 mph | 155 mph | 155 mph |
| Top speed (M Driver's Package) | 190 mph | 190 mph | 190 mph |
| Curb weight | [VERIFY: curb weight] | [VERIFY: curb weight] | [VERIFY: curb weight] |
Those M8 Competition specs understate the car. The S63 makes its torque plateau low and holds it, and M xDrive puts it down without theater. Launch control works repeatably, which is rarer than it should be. The interesting part is the 2WD mode, which disables the front axle entirely with stability control off. It turns a 4,300-pound-plus coupe into a very committed rear-drive car. Treat it as a track tool, not a wet-road party trick.
Check whether the car has the M Driver's Package. Without it the limiter sits at 155 mph, and retrofitting means paying for the course and a dealer coding session.
Driving Impressions
Steering is quick and accurate with three weight settings, though none of them tell you much through your palms. You steer by the nose, not by feel. The chassis is the star: adaptive dampers in Comfort keep expansion joints out of your spine, and Sport Plus firms things without turning the car into a hammer.
The red M1 and M2 buttons on the wheel are the feature that makes the car livable. Store a soft setup for commuting and a full-attack setup for a canyon run, then switch with a thumb instead of scrolling menus. Track mode goes further, shutting off the audio system and blanking the displays to leave only the essentials. It is theatrical and genuinely useful at a lapping day. Brake-by-wire is the polarizing part. Pedal travel is short and the response is consistent, with Comfort and Sport calibrations, but the pedal feels synthetic in the first inch. Some drivers never adapt. Drive one for twenty minutes before you decide.
Coupe and Convertible are different animals. The Coupe is tauter and marginally quicker. The M8 Competition Convertible carries more mass and trades a little edge for the S63 soundtrack arriving unfiltered over your shoulder, which is a fair swap on a road like the ones in our best mountain driving routes roundup. Cowl shake is minimal. If you already love a grand touring convertible, the open M8 makes more sense than the numbers suggest.
The M8 Competition is not trying to be a sports car. It is a 617 hp continent crusher that happens to lap quickly.
Ethan - GarageApp Team
Interior and Technology
Full Merino leather, carbon fiber trim, and the M Competition seats with illuminated badging. The seats hold you properly and still work on a five-hour drive. iDrive 7 runs on a 10.25-inch touchscreen with rotary control, and it remains one of the better systems of the era because the hardware controls never disappeared. Gesture control is a gimmick. Everything else works.
Practicality is real. The Coupe's rear seats are for bags or short trips; the Gran Coupe's are usable by adults. Trunk volume is [VERIFY: cargo volume] in the Coupe and [VERIFY: cargo volume] in the Gran Coupe, enough for two people and luggage. The Convertible gives up space to the folding roof. If you want to see how owners spec and document these cars, browsing builds in a digital garage on GarageApp shows which options people actually chose.
Buyer's Guide: Pricing, Inspection, and Options
New, the 2020 M8 Competition Coupe opened around [VERIFY: MSRP], the Gran Coupe near [VERIFY: MSRP], and the Convertible highest at [VERIFY: MSRP]. Well-optioned examples cleared [VERIFY: as-tested price]. Today a clean used BMW M8 Competition trades around [VERIFY: current market value], which is the single best argument for the car. Depreciation on these has been steep, particularly on the Gran Coupe.
What to Inspect
- Oil consumption and leaks around the V8's valley and turbo plumbing. The S63 family has a history here; confirm the level between services.
- Cooling system condition, including pump and expansion tank. These engines run hot and heat-soaked plastic ages.
- Brake hardware. Carbon ceramic rotors are wonderful and brutally expensive to replace. Measure wear and ask for a rotor thickness report.
- Tires and wheels. Staggered, wide, and easy to curb. Check date codes and look for bent rims on 20-inch setups.
- Suspension. Listen for damper knock and check for weeping shocks.
- Software history. Confirm dealer updates were performed, especially early iDrive and drivetrain control modules.
- Track evidence. Corner balance marks, cooked pads, and tow hook wear are worth asking about, not automatically disqualifying.
On M8 Competition reliability: the core hardware is proven, but this is a complex, heavily boosted BMW with expensive consumables. The cars that scare owners are the neglected ones. Stack the odds by buying with remaining factory coverage or an extended warranty, and read the service history for annual oil changes rather than 15,000-mile intervals. The same discipline applies here as with any maintenance cadence for low-mileage cars that sit more than they drive.
Get a pre-purchase inspection at an M-experienced shop, not a generic PPI. You want someone who knows the S63's known service items and can pull adaptation and fault history.
Options worth paying for: M Carbon Ceramic brakes, the M Driver's Package, Bowers & Wilkins Diamond audio, the M Carbon roof on the Coupe, and full Merino with extended trim. Skip cars with aggressive aftermarket tunes unless the seller documents everything. If you want more from yours later, our BMW performance upgrade guide covers what is worth doing and what voids goodwill. Budget for insurance and proper storage too, because premiums on a 617 hp coupe are not trivial.
M8 Competition vs Rivals
The 992 Porsche 911 Turbo S made 640 hp and is quicker to 60 by a meaningful margin, sharper everywhere, and cost far more new. It also holds value far better, which makes it the worse used bargain and the better car. Our 911 Turbo S buyer's guide makes the case, as does the GT3 Touring if you want engagement over speed. The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door brings 630 hp, a hatch, and a rowdier personality, plus AMG's own repair bills.
The M8 Competition splits them. Less special than the Porsche, more composed than the AMG, cheaper used than either. For covering 600 miles in a day and then embarrassing supercars at a cars and coffee pull-out, it is the sensible answer.
Verdict
Buy the Convertible if you drive coast roads, the Gran Coupe if you carry people, the Coupe if you care about lap times. Spend your money on a documented car with ceramics and the M Driver's Package rather than the lowest mileage example you can find. And drive one back to back with a 911 before you sign, because if the brake pedal bothers you on day one, it will bother you at year three. [CTA: Find M8 owners and BMW meets near you on GarageApp]. Plenty of owners post real ownership costs and route plans there, and the BMW community threads are a faster education than any forum archive.