The new M8 Competition has full ‘xDrive’, all-wheel drive, and an uprated version of BMW's 4.4-litre TwinPower turbo V8 producing 616bhp and a chassis honed during a 24-month development programme at the Nürburgring. This is a proper BMW M Super-Coupe and is a car that I have been looking forward to seeing. The M5 version was launched at the Geneva show his year.

The M8 Competition's roof is bare carbon-fibre, as in the standard M8, and the aluminium front wings and bonnet have clean lines. The M8 Competition is also lighter than it was before partly due the roof and a lighter exhaust, although there is additional weight for the four-wheel drive system. The end result of 1,885kg is acceptable for an executive Coupe but strangely more than the M5 Competition a car which has four doors.

The 4.4-litre V8 with a pair of turbos is the most familiar thing about the M8 Competition. There is 553lb ft available from 1,800rpm all the way to 5,800rpm and 616hp from 5,600rpm. These numbers are more than it's biggest competitors the E63s Merc and the RS6 Audi, though now I feel the previous RS6 is all but eclipsed by these two heavy weights. Roll on the new one!

The turbos spool quickly and it all sounds good, a kind of deep base rumble at slower speeds with something akin to a high pitched scream at the higher revs. Luckily there’s a quiet run button for the exhaust for late-night arrivals and early morning starts, and when you’ve been pressing on a bit, it’ll spit and crackle, all in all rather good. This power translates into 0-62mph in 3.2secs and a limited 155mph top speed (190 if you pay more for the ‘Driver’s Package’ which raises the limiter).

The regular M8 uses a detuned version of the V8 found in the Competition and produces 592bhp – the same as the standard M5. Peak power appears at 6000rpm and the same 553lb ft as the Competition model is delivered between a slightly narrower rev band, from 1800-5600rpm.

BMW has gone all-wheel drive for the M8, as with the M5, with the ability to switch the bias between front and back and crucially to turn off the power to the front wheels. The 'xDrive' is a rear-biased system, so the M8 seems rear-wheel drive for most of the time. Up the ante and you’ll get some understeer, quickly caught at the front to straighten the car. This can be particularly helpful you are travelling quickly down an unknown road. Traction is quite excellent. This while a transfer case pushes torque to the front and back and between the axles, and the torque is split between the two rear wheels.

The DCT twin clutch system from the previous M5 car has been ditched for a more conventional 8 speed torque converter auto with a paddle shift and though it hasn’t the instantaneous responses to be found on the DCT system, it is v close and in traffic particularly good, making it worth the sacrifice-----probably!!

Perhaps overall there are too many modes and settings, meaning that you have work on the best combination for you. However you do get two red ‘M1’ and ‘M2’ buttons on the top of the steering wheel where you can store your preferred settings. Use them and you get your previously stored choice of xDrive, DSC, engine, transmission, damper and steering choices. In short a well polished car that can be the luxury cruiser one minute and a racer the next.

The M8 Competition is now available to order, with prices starting at £123,435 and first deliveries set to take place later in the year. However it is not clear to me whether the standard M8 is coming to the UK. I shall try to find out!

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