BMW M8 (F91, F92, F93) buying guide

The 2020 range gave each body style two choices, a 600 hp M8 and a 617 hp Competition, and M Buyers Guide reports that BMW sold 50 Gran Coupe First Editions in the US. All M8s share 553 lb-ft of torque. Garage App says the Competition adds stiffer engine mounts, retuned chassis settings, gloss black trim and M Competition seats with illuminated badges.

Only the Gran Coupe reached US buyers for 2021, with BMW citing COVID-19 inventory and dealership operations. From 2022 every US M8 was a Competition. The 2023 facelift brought a redesigned illuminated grille, a 12.3-inch center display in place of the 10.25-inch unit, more colors and optional M3 carbon bucket seats. Machines With Souls lists production as ending in mid-2025.

Sources split on the best year. REREV prefers 2022 and 2023 and urges extra caution with 2020 and 2021, while CoPilot would avoid 2020 and 2022 and calls 2020 the least desirable. M Buyers Guide finds no logged change between years that sets one apart and says to buy on condition and records. The 2020 cars do carry a transmission harness recall and a batch of faulty A/C compressors, covered below.

On options, Garage App recommends M Carbon Ceramic brakes, the M Driver's Package, Bowers & Wilkins audio and the M Carbon roof on the Coupe. Without the Driver's Package the limiter stays at 155 mph, and adding it later means a course and a dealer coding session. Garage App and Machines With Souls together advise avoiding aggressive aftermarket tunes unless everything is documented, and one reviewer would stay away from any modded car. M Buyers Guide lists the 2020 Gran Coupe First Edition among cars that hold value.

Coolant tank leaks

The plastic coolant expansion tank can leak onto the injectors on cylinders 5 to 8, corroding them. Rough running, misfires or limp mode follow. Out of coverage, M Buyers Guide puts a new tank at about $210 and each injector at $150 to $500 before labor.

Injector coverage and recall

Emissions recall 24E-A01 applies to M8s built through September 2022. A BMW program reimburses injectors lost to this corrosion for 15 years or 150,000 miles, per BimmerBench, and it applies to 2020 coupes and convertibles plus Gran Coupes from 2020 and 2021.

Transmission harness

Recall 19V883 on 2020 cars concerns a transmission wiring harness that can get damaged and short out, and the result can be the gearbox dropping into neutral. Ask for proof the work was done.

Oil consumption, valve seals

The S63 can burn oil and wear its valve stem seals, showing smoke on start-up or on hard acceleration and deceleration. Before it will replace valve seals, BMW demands a complete oil-consumption test, and Engine Patrol says BMW regards a quart per 1,000 miles as normal for the N63 and S63.

Hot-vee leaks

Oil and coolant leaks around the hot vee are an age item on the S63. M Buyers Guide prices the fix at roughly $1,500 for gaskets, rising to several thousand dollars if the turbo lines need work.

A/C compressor failure

Intermittent hot air from the A/C affects 2020 M8s, blamed on a faulty batch of compressors, according to Engine Patrol. A new compressor costs over a thousand dollars.

Brake squeal

Squeal is a frequent complaint on 8 Series cars including the M8, per Engine Patrol. Aftermarket pads can cure it.

M Buyers Guide says genuine BMW front pads alone cost about $700, and that star-marked 20-inch summer tires cost around $1,800 to $1,900 for a set, not counting fitting. M Carbon Ceramic Brakes were $8,150 new in 2020, and the same guide and Garage App both say replacing the rotors costs thousands.

BimmerBench found owners paying $176 to $265 at an independent shop and $260 to $450 at a dealer for an M differential fluid service. Some guides suggest changing the oil sooner than the onboard indicator calls for, and one recommends doing it yearly rather than every 15,000 miles.

Garage App finds the M8 fairly dependable given its 617 hp twin-turbo V8, yet expensive to maintain, and blames neglected cars for the horror stories. Machines With Souls describes it as one of the more reliable BMWs to date with no major issues. Our price guide shows what the market asks.

Buy on condition and paperwork, not model year. The 2022 and 2023 cars are the ones REREV prefers, and 2023 adds the facelift's larger screen. A 2020 car can be fine if the harness recall, injector coverage and A/C are all sorted. The Competition is the only choice from 2022 anyway.

Skip any car with misfire codes on cylinders 5 to 8 or tuning nobody can document. Hold out for a dealer VIN check that shows the coolant tank campaign and injector coverage, and for service records showing the oil was changed well inside the indicator's interval.