The 2020 BMW M8 completes the two-door 8 Series range as a stylish yet potent grand tourer that’ll be right at home doing triple digits on the Autobahn. Available with up to 617 hp in M8 Competition guise, the 2020 M8 replaces the M6 as the top dog of the Bavarian automaker’s lineup of performance cars. Like the standard 8 Series, the M8 is available as a coupe or convertible. A four-door Gran Coupe model will arrive this month followed by its M8 iteration, and these cars will effectively replace the 6 Series and M6 Gran Coupe.
From the design alone, the 2020 BMW M8 differs significantly from the M6 that it replaces. Whereas the M6 is visually hefty, the M8 is sleeker, streamlined, and sultry, especially when you view its side profile. The M8 looks particularly athletic up front, boasting large lower air intakes, a massive grille, and angry-looking headlights. The M6, on the other hand, looks chunky and rounded up front; its smaller kidney grille, lower front openings, and diamond-shaped headlight design add considerable bulk. Out back, the M8 emphasizes its wide stance with thin taillights and quad exhaust tips versus the M6, which looks more like an evolution of the old “Bangle butt” from its V-10-powered predecessor from the early- to late-2000s.
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Both the 2020 BMW M8 and the M6 feature driver-centric interiors. The M8’s dash, for instance, is tilted towards the driver slightly while the M6 has a design element on the lower center console that clearly separates the driver from the front passenger. Their dashes feature a large screen as the centerpiece and a horizontal button layout for a simple, uncluttered look. Where the M8 starts to differentiate itself is in how it employs new technologies. A digital gauge cluster replaces the old analog units, giving the interior a techy look that the M6 lacks. The M8 also uses metal, carbon fiber, and wood trim liberally to break up the colors and add more eye candy.
Powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 paired to a specially tuned eight-speed automatic transmission, the 2020 BMW M8 will be the halo vehicle in the M division’s lineup. Like the new M5 sedan, the M8 is the second M car to come with a performance-tuned all-wheel-drive system that can go into rear-wheel-drive mode. All M8s will come with a high level of customization, giving drivers the ability to adjust everything from the powertrain and brakes to the steering and suspension.