BMW does make some great sports cars. Even though BMW mainly produces luxury sedans, most BMW series have a standalone M sports car. Popular BMW sports car models include the i8, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 and M8. In addition, there are luxury crossover BMW sports SUVs like the X3 M, X4 M, X5 M and X6 M.
Moreover, BMW also offers M performance models as modifications for different BMW vehicles. Our top BMW sports car choices overall are the i8 and the M8 Competition.
If you want a true luxury sports car a BMW might the the choice for you. Let’s have a closer look at the turbo machines.
The BMW i8: The best-looking BMW sports car
The BMW i8 is a hybrid sports car produced by BMW. The i8 is more of an everyday drive than a professional sports car, but it has superior looks and still provides a solid drivetrain under the hood.
With an all-wheel-drive and a 1.5-liter three-cylinder gas engine and a battery pack with two electric motors, this is far from being a standard BMW. It brings in 369 horsepower and sprints from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds. This doesn’t put it even in the top 5 fastest BMWs, but it has been labeled a sports car due to its design and engine.
Nevertheless, this vehicle is more about looking great than delivering top speed. Driving it feels like a sports car with an advanced suspension, good handling, and lighter steering than you can experience in most BMWs. This, of course, could be both good and bad, depending on what you want from the vehicle.
The BMW M8 Competition: The fastest BMW sports car
The fastest BMW is the BMW M8 Competition Coupe which shares the same engine as the quick M5 Competition. Due to its lighter curb and more aerodynamic form, it manages to reach 60 miles per hour in a whopping 3.1 seconds. The M8 Competition starts at the $140,000 dollar mark but brings in value for every dollar in terms of power and speed.
Engine and transmission of the BMW M8 Competition
With a 4.4-liter V-8 engine and 617 horsepower, this beast suffers in terms of miles per gallon. As expected, the estimated miles per gallon for city use are 15 and the mpg on the highway is a lowly 21. Well, you can’t have both top speed and good fuel economy.
The BMW M8 Competition comes with an automatic 8-speed transmission and an xDrive all-wheel drive. It’s a BMW, so as you would expect, the all-wheel-drive is rear-biased. The torque is naturally corrected by an intelligent system to each wheel where needed. Moreover, the behavior of the drive system can be adjusted according to what mode you are driving the car in.
Interior and cabin space
Surprisingly, The M8’s passenger and driving space are ample and it comes with beautifully stitched leather surfaces and 12.1-inch infotainment screen. The backseat passengers, on the other hand, would feel quite uncomfortable unless they are children. But people rarely buy a BMW M8 to drive friends around in the backseat.
Of course, BMW has predicted that this might become an issue and has made the Gran Coupe M8 option available. If you wish for a roomier car, with the same beastly power, this solves the issue. This beast of a car comes in convertible, coupe or gran coupe options, depending on what best suits your needs.
Safety and Driver Assistance
The BMW M8 Competition 2020 is yet to be crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It has not yet been tested by the IIHS as well. However, it comes with a myriad of driver-assistance technology that includes features like self-parking assistance, night vision, and many more.
The M8 has an advanced integrated braking system which is powered by an electronic actuator instead of a vacuum booster, which is usually used in most vehicles. It’s quite quick to respond and more reliable at that too.
Adaptive cruise control and stop-start technology are also implemented in order to make the ride more comfortable. Forward-collision warning and emergency automated braking are included in the safety package, as well as a blind-spot monitoring system.
Driving the BMW M8 Competition feels accurate when it comes to handling, well developed, and quite powerful under the hood. On the other hand, you can feel the heavier curb weight of 1960 kilograms, which makes it less agile and maneuverable than other smaller and lighter sports cars.
Read this too: Worst BMW you can buy used
Other notable mentions
The Batmobile 3.0 CSL
BMW originally won more than 100 races and medals with the 3.0 CSL “Batmobile” from 1973. They later on paid “hommage” to the vehicle in 2015, when they created the 2015 BMW CSL 3.0 Hommage version to commemorate the success of its predecessor. This model has remained in history as the most successful race car BMW has ever made.
2018 F90 BMW M5
The F90 M5 reaches 62 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds, only 0.1 seconds slower than the M8 Competition, which leads the BMW charts. It is powered by a twin-turbo V-8 4.4-liter engine with 600 horsepower.
It bears the same engine as the M8 Competition, but has a heavier and less aerodynamic form, making it a tenth of a second slower in reaching 62 miles per hour.
More information about BMWs
Which is the fastest BMW that is massively produced for the public?
The BMW M8 Competition is the fastest BMW widely available to be purchased in most countries. It accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.1 seconds. It shares the same engine as the BMW M5 Competition, which can too be labeled fastest, but the M8 is much lighter and has better aerodynamics which allows it to reach a top speed more quickly.
Which BMW has the most horsepower?
Talking about BMWs available to the public and massively produced, the BMW M8 Competition or the M5 Competition have the most powerful engine in terms of horsepower. Both models generate a whopping 823 horsepower.
This is with the upgrade of the MANHART MH8 800, a modified version of the BMW M8 Coupe. It can rocket from 0 to 62 miles per hour in only 2.6 seconds. This is only 0.2 seconds difference with the Bugatti Chiron which reaches 62 mph in just 2.4 seconds.
