BMW M8 Gran Coupe Review 2023 | Drive, Specs & Pricing

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The BMW M8 Gran Coupe has an exquisite cabin and the performance figures of a supercar. It’s too firm to be a long-distance companion, though, and an M850i is better value.

Is the BMW M8 Gran Coupe a good car?

The BMW M8 Gran Coupe is a larger, more practical version of the M8 Coupe that comes with the same 625hp engine, but gets a more practical four-door body with a roomier boot and four seats. So, if you want an M car, but have too many friends, BMW has your back.

Audi and Porsche have also got your back, though, because the Audi RS7 and Porsche Panamera also provide the same blend of coupe styling with two rows of seats and monumental performance.

To help you tell it apart from the standard BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe, it gets more aggressive bumpers, four large exhaust pipes, new alloy wheels and plenty of optional carbon fibre details. Inside, you get lashings of leather trim on the doors, dashboard and seats, and the same brilliant iDrive Professional infotainment system and digital driver’s display as in the 8 Series.

The Gran Coupe is quite a bit longer than the 8 Series Coupe and the widest car that BMW currently makes, so space inside for four adults is good. Those in that front can stretch out, while only the very tall will complain about headroom in the rear. The Gran Coupe’s large rear central console makes carrying a middle passenger difficult, mind.

The M8 Gran Coupe is an impressive feat of engineering, but you can’t help feeling the M850i is the pick of the range.

Its boot is smaller and more awkwardly shape than alternative efforts too. It doesn’t have great access, there’s a large lip to lift bags over and it has ridged sides that don’t make efficient use of the space. We fitted six carry-on cases inside, but a Panamera or RS7 will fit more.

Under the BMW M8 Gran Coupe’s bonnet, you’ll find a 625hp version of the twin-turbo V8 in the M850i. This unit comes with plenty of parts shared with the BMW M5 Competition, including a grippy four-wheel-drive system that’ll blast the M8 Gran Coupe from 0-62mph in around three seconds.  

Performance isn’t a problem and neither is going around corners, because the M8 feels far more nimble than it should be given its size in its most aggressive drive modes. Even so, if you really value a pure driving experience, there are better (smaller) M cars on offer. The Gran Coupe also feels firm all of the time, which does get a little tiring and goes against its large luxury feel. 

But the main issue we have with the M8 Gran Coupe is that for a staggering wad of cash less, the M850i version provides 95% of the thrills with 100% of the luxury, not to mention a healthy dose more comfort too.

However, if it has to be the M8, head over to our BMW deals page to see how much you can save on one.