We have driven the hardcore M4 CSL, a stripped-down road car that belongs more on the racetrack than on the road. But what about when you want something a little more comfy but just as nasty? Then you get a BMW M8 Competition, an opulent and comfortable road car that can give a fair few supercars a run for their money on the slightest provocation. Also, this is the M8 Competition GC or Gran Coupe. It means that instead of 2 doors, it gets four. This also makes it longer than the standard M8 Competition. 

We’ll start with looks and this one leaves no room for doubt. The BMW M8 Competition is considered beautiful almost unanimously. In many cases, people also believe that this might very well be the best-looking car in BMW’s current lineup. I echo the sentiment and with the way it looks in this Brooklyn Grey colour scheme, I find it very hard to argue against that. 

Just look at those diffusers, the intakes, the quad exhaust outlets, and those eyes. It is a tall order to find flaws in the BMW M8 Competition when it comes to looks. The stance is so commanding and I love the lines, how the front is sleek and how it expands as you move towards the rear. The little carbon spoiler is also a neat touch. It is a heck of a performance car, yes, but it is a head-turner too alright.

If you try to move around inconspicuously, you might as well fail because of the racket. Sitting in the car, cocooned with all the creature comforts, you do not realize how ballistic the BMW M8 Competition sounds. The 4.4-litre bi-turbo V8 is a beast that grants you 617 bhp of power and a massive 750 nm of torque. The impact of those numbers is amplified manyfold by how this car sounds. The idle is a burble and at full-chat, it is a racket! 

Unlike the M4 CSL, the M8 Competition sends all that firepower to all wheels thanks to the xDrive system. But the power sent to the front wheels and rear is variable thanks to the active M-differential that works based on driving conditions. It ensures maximum traction even in the most challenging conditions. There’s also a distinct 2WD mode for when you feel a little… feisty. 

Made of exotic materials, the Acer Swift 5 does not only look splendid but packs performance that rivals much bigger machines, just like the BMW M8 Competition.

With the xDrive, this near 2.1-ton behemoth can go from 0-100 km/h in just 2.7 seconds. That is enough to bury your head in the headrest. One minute you’re just admiring how beautiful and how loaded the BMW M8 Competition is. Sitting in ignorance thinking that it cannot be that luxurious a car and be that quick too. Floor it and your perceptions are shattered in a matter of seconds.

In the corners, one must assume that with power being sent to all the wheels, there must be some understeer and then there’s the weight and this and that. To be honest, the BMW M8 Competition was surprisingly quick on its feet. You do not even have to switch to the 2WD mode. In xDrive too it is very responsive. I think that one must reserve the 2WD mode to show how tail-happy this GT can be. 

Talking about that, it is almost paradoxical, this car. It is a perfectly comfortable car with a lot of space for people and stuff alike. It is plush and comfortable and lined with nice materials and speakers and yada yada yada. In simpler terms, one of the best GT cars out there. And yet, the performance on tap is almost pushing it into supercar territory. You have to sit in the car to appreciate how accommodating it is and then you have to drive it to witness the carnage it is capable of. 

The question is… what is this car all about then? Well, it is expensive but it is less expensive than the traditional supercars. Yet, it might as well keep up with a fair few of them without breaking a sweat. You obviously miss out on maybe the last 0.1% of the performance that supercars provide but think about it. You get 99.9% of it without the restrictions of traditional supercars. 

I believe that it is a car that you buy when you are at a point in your life where you want a fast car but you are not ready to deal with the non-existing luggage space, harsh ride, and the two-people-only thing that comes with owning a supercar. You do not want something flashy with bright colours and so on. You want something muted, something comfortable but also, a sleeping giant that can deal with an overgrown child throwing a tantrum in a purple 2-seater.

In India, it sits at around 2.1 cr so it is not a cheap car. But then, it is not a cheap car either. You get your money’s worth in every possible way. The BMW M8 Competition looks good. It can be a comfy daily driver. It can be a heck of a tourer. And the days when you find missing the good ol days, you can just floor it. Better yet, switch to 2WD and then floor it. The purple-car drivers might just regret the provocation.