BMW M8 Competition vs BMW M5 Competition drag race

We’ve got the all-new BMW M8 Competition on the start line, armed with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that can produce 625hp and 750Nm of torque. It’s going up against the BMW M5 Competition, which arrives with… exactly the same engine and power output.

Despite this – and even with it having two fewer seats – the M8 costs about £20,000 more than the M5. Will it prove worth that huge price increase when the two go head-to-head? There’s only one way to find out!

Click below to watch the video:

Like always, the M5 and M8 will clash firstly in a 1/4-mile drag from a standing start. After that there will be a pair of rolling races, seeing which of these two sports cars is fastest when you put your foot down at 50mph. Finally, you’ll see a brake test, where we see whether the M8 or M5 can do a full emergency stop from 70mph fastest.

So, who will win? And who’s the special guest driver we’ve put behind the wheel of the M5? Watch and find out!

What’s so special about the BMW M8 Competition?

The BMW M8 Competition is a stunning sports coupé that’s an alternative to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4-door, Porsche 911 Carrera S and Bentley Continental GT. Like all these cars, it is phenomenally quick, yet still comfortable to drive for long periods. However, the seats in the back aren’t really seats at all – they’re so small that they’re more like spaces for a few extra bags. Also, some desirable pieces of kit, such as automatic cruise control, aren’t even standard; you have to pay extra.

Still, the M8 Competition is all about the driving experience and, here, it doesn’t disappoint. As with many high-performance BMWs, it has xDrive permanent all-wheel drive, sending power to the front and rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Thanks to this, the M8 comes with a range of driving modes, from rear-wheel set-ups to grippy four-wheel drive, but, whichever mode you are in, it is an impressive car to drive. Plus, the standard adaptive suspension makes it more agile than an M5 in tight corners.

And what’s so special about the BMW M5 Competition?

You get the same engine and gearbox set-up in the M5 Competition as you do in the M8, but this is a seriously quick saloon car, so there’s a degree of practicality you just don’t get in the coupe. It has space for front- and rear-seat passengers; it’s comfortable too. Furthermore, it comes with all the infotainment tech you get in the standard BMW 5 Series.

The M5 is an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 or Porsche Panamera. It also gets the BMW xDrive four-wheel-drive system, and, like the M8 Competition, you can stick it in rear-wheel-drive mode to have a lot of fun smoking your expensive tyres on a racetrack.

The M5 starts at £98,100, though if you buy the car through our trusted dealers on carwow, you can expect a discount of around £16,000 (prices correct at the time of publishing). Meanwhile, the starting price of the M8 Competition is £123,435. Again, if you sign in to carwow, trusted BMW dealers are currently offering discounts of more than £20,000 off the M8’s list price.

When you get offers from carwow, you can compare the five best by price, location and dealer ratings and choose the one that’s right for you? no hassle, no haggling, just a great deal.