The 2022 BMW M8 Competition might look like sleek and upscale like the regular 8-Series Coupe, but underneath it conceals a fire-breathing monster. Sitting at the top of the brand’s stable, the 2022 M8 Competition performance is absurdly quick and offers a complete bang for the buck as some of its rivals cost nearly as much as two times for the same level of performance.
After a brief hiatus for 2021 MY, BMW has once again introduced its beloved M8 Coupe for 2022 MY. However, the Bavarian carmaker now offers the M8 in Competition guise only. This means you get all the goodies that were previously exclusive to the Competition package at the same cost as the standard M8 for 2022 MY. The M8 Competition comes with a starting price of $131,995 and competes with the likes of Porsche 911 Turbo, Jaguar F-Type R, and Audi R8 Performance.
For the 2022 model year, the M8 is only available in its Competition guise. Under the hood, you can find a 4.4L twin-turbo MPower V8 churning out a staggering 617 hp at 6000 RPM and 553 lb-ft of raw torque at 1800 RPM. This is 17 ponies more power than the standard 2020 M8. The engine is mated to an 8-speed M Sport automatic gearbox and power is sent to all the wheels as standard via a rear-biased xDrive AWD system. It also comes equipped with the M Sport differential for better cornering abilities and traction on track.
2022 BMW M8 Coupe Engine Bay
All that power available at the slight touch of the pedal might feel exhilarating but BMW has installed enough tech gizmos to tame this beast. It is pretty easy to control and does not feel intimidating to drive. The throttle response is menacing and power delivery is near instantaneous. The 8-speed automatic gearbox is snappy and it comes with three shift modes: Drivelogic mode (DCT mode), Sport mode, and manual shift mode. In addition to that, the car comes standard with the M Sport exhaust system. The exhaust note is sweet but still it takes a lot more finesse to match AMG’s exhaust note.
Models
2022 BMW M8 Competition Coupe
2022 Porsche 911 Turbo
2022 Jaguar F-Type R
2022 Audi R8 Performance
MSRP
$131,995
$175,650
$104,350
$202,995
Engine
4.4L, Twin-Turbo V8
3.8L Twin-Turbo Flat-6
5L, Supercharged V8
5.2L, Naturally Aspirated V10
Drivetrain
AWD
AWD
AWD
AWD
Transmission
8-speed automatic
8-speed automatic
8-speed automatic
7-speed automatic
Power
617 hp @ 6,000 RPM
572 hp @ 6,500 RPM
575 hp @ 6,500 RPM
602 hp @ 8,100 RPM
Torque
553 lb-ft @ 1,800 RPM
553 lb-ft @ 2,250 RPM
516 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM
413 lb-ft @ 6,700 RPM
The 2022 Audi R8 is the most expensive performance coupe in the competition. This purebred track monster sports a naturally aspirated V10- a rare sight in this decade. Rivals sport a twin-turbo V8 or supercharged V8 to amp up their power figures. Porsche 911 Turbo sports its renowned flat 6 engine and that 8-speed PDK automatic unit helps it achieve immense power and torque without extra cylinders to make up for it. While the Jaguar is much more affordable, it does not match up to the cornering abilities of the Porsche.
2022 BMW M8 Acceleration
With 617 hp of raw power, it's pretty obvious that the 2022 M8 Competition would be absurdly quick. It breaks the 60 MPH barrier in just 2.5 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in 10.7 seconds at a staggering 129 mph. It also has a top speed of 189 MPH, previously limited to 155 MPH in the standard M8 guise.
2022 BMW M8 Coupe Accelerate 0-60 MPH in 2.5 secs
That said, this top speed can be achieved only with a set of performance tires. This is supercar levels of performance and it has enough technology to keep it stable on track. Moreover, since most of the weight is distributed at the front, the rear end won’t sway when you floor the pedal.
Models
2022 BMW M8 Competition Coupe
2022 Porsche 911 Turbo
2022 Jaguar F-Type R
2022 Audi R8 Performance
0-60 MPH
2.5 secs
2.6 secs
3.5 secs
3.4 secs
Quarter mile
10.7 secs
10.7 secs
11.7 secs
11.5 secs
Top Speed
189 MPH
205 MPH
186 MPH
200 MPH
The Porsche 911 Turbo is one of the lightest ones in the lot and it is also one of the most powerful ones too. Moreover, it sports one of the most efficient transmission units ever produced. All this means, it too manages to offer a breath-taking acceleration performance. If this isn’t thrilling enough for you, you can also get the more powerful Turbo S variant. The Audi and Jaguar are both about a second slower than the BMW M8 but the R8 Performance has a higher top speed to offer.
2022 BMW M8 Brake Performance
The 2022 BMW M8 Coupe comes equipped with M Compound ventilated disc brakes as standard. You get 15.6-inch ventilated disc brakes at the front and 15-inch ventilated disc brakes at the rear. The brakes have a strong bite, and the brake pedal is easy to modulate, but the electrically-assisted brake boost could get some getting used to.
2022 BMW M8 Coupe Alloy Wheel
However, it takes some time to get used to because the brakes are too responsive. When the brakes are slammed at 60 MPH, the vehicle comes to a stop in just 106 feet. You can also get the optional Carbon Ceramic brakes and, when equipped they stop the car within 99 feet in the 60-0 MPH emergency braking test.
Models
2022 BMW M8 Competition Coupe
2022 Porsche 911 Turbo
2022 Jaguar F-Type R
2022 Audi R8 Performance
Brake Front (in.)
15.6
15.0
15.0
15.0
Brake Rear (in.)
15.0
15.0
14.8
14.0
Curb Weight (lbs)
4,295
3,635
3,920
3,638
60-0 MPH (ft.)
106
97
113
102
The 2022 M8 has the largest set of brakes in the competition here but since it is heavier than the rest it travels a longer distance before coming to a stop. The 911 Turbo is the lightest in the lot and it also sports almost similar sized brakes as that of the M8. Therefore it offers the most impressive braking performance as it comes to a stop well within 100 feet. The Audi R8 has impressive braking performance as well as one would naturally expect from a supercar while the F-Type R is the one that feels the least impressive.
2022 BMW M8 Handling
The BMW 2022 M8 can set the tracks ablaze casually without any worries. This track monster can be blink of an eye quick yet easy to control. It balances sportiness, drivability, and ride quality. It is the heaviest coupe in the segment but the body roll is kept to a minimum; the key is in the weight distribution (55% at the front and 45% at the rear). Ride quality in tracks is simply superb but on regular roads, it does transfer some road imperfections though.
The car comes standard with launch control and an M Sport differential for better takeoff and handling. Apart from these, the M Driving Dynamics Control helps with situation-specific driving modes. The steering isn't the most communicative and it is definitely more suited for touring than for the track events, but the car still feels eager to be pushed around the corners. Moreover, you also get adaptive M suspension and twin-tube gas absorbers for added stability and admirable ride quality.
2022 BMW M8 MPG Figures
The 2022 BMW M8 Coupe has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 15 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway. We couldn’t expect anything substantial considering it is a 617-hp monster. This car is meant for performance and you can’t expect much in terms of fuel economy from it.
Nonetheless, 17 MPG combined is still decent, and when combined with a 20.1-gallon fuel tank, it puts its driving range at about 422 miles on the highway. Ambling around the city traffic should also get you a pretty decent 302 miles of range.
Models
2022 BMW M8 Competition Coupe
2022 Porsche 911 Turbo
2022 Jaguar F-Type R
2022 Audi R8 Performance
MPG (City)
15
15
16
13
MPG (Highway)
21
20
24
19
MPG (Combined)
17
17
18
15
Fuel Capacity (gal)
20.1
17.6
18.5
19.3
Range (City/Highway/Combined) (miles)
302/422/342
264/352/299
296/444/333
251/367/290
The Jaguar F-Type R is slightly more fuel-efficient than the rest of the competition given that it sports a supercharged V8. As expected, R8 chugs down fuel like a thirsty monster and it is only natural a V10 that redlines at 8,100 RPM to gulp fuel like that. The M8 despite churning out monstrous power, manages to provide better fuel economy than its competitors and it also sports a large fuel tank. So it is safe to say that it is good for cross country travels.
Verdict
The 2022 BMW M8 Competition performance totally feels like the flagship performance coupe of the Bavarian car maker. It sports one of the most powerful engines in the segment and boasts great driving dynamics given that it is also pretty luxurious inside. Besides, it returns decent fuel economy and sports a larger fuel tank. All these levels of supercar performance at two-thirds the cost of one makes it an absolute sweet deal.
