2023 BMW M8 vs Mercedes AMG GT: German Performance Flagships Face Off
Six-figure price tags and race-car technology aren’t on everyone’s list of practical choices, but there is something about the BMW M8 and Mercedes AMG GT that always turn heads. Both are at the sharp end of their respective brand’s lineups, but how do they compare to each other? Let’s find out.
BMW M8 Performance
The 2023 BMW M8 Competition is, simply put, a hellraiser. With a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 powerplant, the top-spec M Performance car delivers 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. That power goes through a sophisticated all-wheel drive system that can send up to 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels.
In fact, so intelligent is the car’s active differential system that it will send all of the power to the rear unless it detects a slide. In that case, it will sense the yaw and speed of the car to send some power up front and help straighten things out.
Under hard acceleration, all four wheels help pull the M8 from zero to 60 mph in just three seconds, while the AMG GT takes 3.6 ticks to reach highway speed.
Under the hood of the Mercedes AMG GT C
On paper, the 2023 Mercedes AMG GT C is is a similar league to the M8 Competition. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 provides the power here, but makes much less at the crank than the BMW. At 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque, it’s not hard to see why the Merc loses the sprint to 60 mph.
Handling is the AMG GT’s trump card against the M8
While catching up in the corners is an easy joke to make, it’s hard to argue against what the AMG GT C is capable of on bendy tarmac. Weight distribution heavily favors the Mercedes over the BMW, and it’s not a close fight. In the Bimmer, over 55% of the weight sits in the front half of the vehicle; the AMG GT puts almost that much in the rear.
That makes the Merc incredibly responsive to steering inputs and more chuckable than a car this heavy should be. In fact, the steering response is so direct, the first few hard throws into a corner come with surprising immediacy. This is a car that reconfigures your brain to develop a different driving style altogether.
Comparing standard features
Both the BMW M8 and Mercedes AMG GT come with premium leather upholstery, Nappa in the Merc and Merino in the Bimmer. Both offer premium audio as well, with Burmester handling sound in the AMG while Harman Kardon situates the speakers in the M8.
Overall, a slight materials edge goes to the BMW for its use of Alcantara, though the sweeping dash design of the Mercedes model is more elegant. That said, both offer heated and ventilated sport seats to provide plenty of comfort for those grand touring road trips.
Is there a winner?
When stacking these two German heavyweights against each other, everyone comes out as a winner. The M8 is certainly a head-turner due to its low stance and wide track, but the AMG GT holds a slight overall edge thanks to its handling and refinement.
