The Engineering Marvel that is the BMW M8: A Technical Analysis

BMW's M division has long been synonymous with high-performance vehicles, and one of their most impressive creations to date is the M8. This majestic machine boasts an engine that is widely regarded as one of the best ever produced by a manufacturer. The 8400 RPM rev limiter is a testament to the engineering prowess that has gone into creating this behemoth of a powerplant. It's a variable valve timing system, similar to BMW's VTEC technology, but with a unique twist that makes it all the more remarkable.

This engine is truly a work of art, and its performance is nothing short of extraordinary. With its incredible 400 horsepower output, the M8 is capable of delivering unparalleled speed and agility on the road. The fact that it was named "Engine of the Year" in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 is a clear indication of its exceptional engineering.

However, one cannot overlook the significance of the M8's gearbox. In this particular example, BMW has opted for the dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which provides lightning-quick shifts and impressive acceleration. While some may argue that the manual transmission would be more desirable, I must confess that I have a soft spot for the clutch pedal and the tactile experience it provides.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the M8's engine is its ability to adapt to driving conditions. The variable valve timing system ensures that the power delivery is smooth and refined, making it an ideal choice for both spirited driving and everyday use. The throttle mapping and power delivery can be adjusted at will, allowing drivers to tailor their experience to suit their preferences.

The M8's engine also boasts a unique feature: the ability to make its presence known through subtle yet distinct changes in tone throughout the rev range. This is made possible by the variable valve timing system, which allows the engine to switch between different modes as needed. For example, when accelerating from low speeds, the engine produces a deep, throaty growl that is unmistakably V8-like. However, as the RPMs rise, the tone shifts and becomes more refined, adding an air of sophistication to the driving experience.

Another aspect of the M8's engine that deserves praise is its ability to provide feedback to the driver through subtle changes in sound and vibration. The variable valve timing system creates a unique soundscape that is both pleasing to the ear and reassuring to the senses. As the driver engages with the car, they can feel the engine responding to their every move, creating an almost symbiotic relationship between driver and machine.

In addition to its impressive performance capabilities, the M8 also boasts some notable features that set it apart from its competitors. For example, the DCT gearbox provides lightning-quick shifts, making it ideal for those who enjoy rapid acceleration and effortless shifting. However, I must confess that I have always been drawn to the manual transmission, finding it more engaging and rewarding than the automatic.

One of the most significant upgrades that can be made to the M8 is a full performance exhaust system from Eventuri. This upgrade not only increases power output but also provides an enhanced soundscape that is sure to turn heads on the road. With its distinctive growl and edgy tone, the M8's engine is a true standout among high-performance vehicles.

Overall, the BMW M8 is an engineering marvel that showcases the company's commitment to excellence in design and performance. Its incredible engine, combined with its advanced transmission technology, makes it one of the most desirable high-performance vehicles on the market today. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or just starting your journey into the world of high-performance driving, the M8 is an experience like no other.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the E60 and E90 models, it's worth noting that they share some similarities with the M8. Both feature impressive performance capabilities, thanks to their powerful engines and advanced transmission technology. However, the M8 stands out from its predecessors in terms of its unique engine design and refined driving experience.

One aspect of these older models that may be worth mentioning is the infamous frameless windows that were fitted to some early examples. These windows are known for producing a distracting noise when opened or closed, which can be quite frustrating for Alpena owners. In contrast, the M8's sleeker design and advanced window technology provide a much more refined and enjoyable driving experience.

In terms of performance, the E60 and E90 models were capable of impressive acceleration and top speeds. With the removal of the rev limiter, these cars were able to reach speeds that are simply breathtaking. In fact, some examples have been known to exceed 320 km/h without any further modifications.

For those who may be interested in taking their M8 out for a spin, I highly recommend doing so. The driving experience is nothing short of exceptional, with the engine providing a smooth and refined power delivery that makes it easy to navigate even the most challenging roads. Whether you're cruising down the highway or tackling twisty mountain passes, the M8 is an exhilarating ride that's sure to leave you smiling.

Overall, the BMW M8 is a true masterpiece of engineering that showcases the company's commitment to excellence in design and performance. Its incredible engine, combined with its advanced transmission technology and refined driving experience, make it one of the most desirable high-performance vehicles on the market today.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat's up ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this POV review by a topel my name is Martin and this is my new e92 M3 so as you might know I already own a G80 and an f82 so a G8 M3 with a manual transmission so that's a sedan and an f82 M4 a coupe with a DCT gear box and I'm going down the line so I've started with the newest one then the second to newest and this is my latest addition to the evolution M shop the e92 M3 if you guys don't know Evolution M shop we are modifying bmwm models and we are developing parts for them and of course testing them and we are now starting with the M3 E90 platform which is why I bought the car well I also bought it as an enthus iast because I just love this gen of M3 of course because of the V8 but also because of the styling I really like the bulky beefy look of this generation also bought it as an investment because I think these cars will go up in value even more because they have gone up quite a bit over the last like 3 years so I paid quite a lot for this one it's a low mileage 2008 manual transmission model so I'm expecting not to lose any money I'm hoping to earn even on this so let's do a quick walk around the previous owner upgraded to these black wheels of course used to have the default M3 e92 Wheels which I'll show you in this picture right here the owner decided to upgrade to this wheel it still has the pilot Super Sport starm Mark tires so that's an OEM tire two 45 section front tire 19in wheel behind that we have ventilated brake disc steel ones of course and quite an ugly brake caliper so with this generation BMW didn't do any fancy M caliper I do think that this OEM Super Sport michelan tire really suits the car it really sits in between a nice Road used tire and a cup tire from michelan because when they're like cold they have no traction whatsoever and when you get them really nice and hot they really stick and offer a great Driving Experience on the rear axle same Tire of course but this time it's a 265 so a little wider as you can see it's not an lcii it's a 2008 model the e92 M3 was built from 2007 to 2013 and people really prefer the LCI rear lights these are non LCI and what I just love is all the classic details like a chrome M3 badge a chrome quad exhaust and of course this was the successor to the E46 M3 one of the most loved generation of M3 and like the purists they thought this wasn't a good move by BMW can you imagine they did not like it that they put a V8 in there because they wanted it to be a straight six nowadays though we really appreciate this engine we know what it's capable of we know what it sounds like if you haven't heard the sound go watch this video and then come back because it is such an iconic sound it is so sweet and it runs like velvet really really cool so it's the the 4 L S65 V8 capable of doing 8400 RPM 400 newm coming from that 4 lit and 420 horsepower supposedly because many of these have gone on the dyno uh and they did like like the worst ones did 370 and like really good ones did like 4 or 410 but no one ever got that 420 horsepower so it's the from BMW's s85 engine so the V10 from the M5 V60 just with two cylinders cut off and an upgraded ECU so as I said it's it's done only 57,000 km so a really nice example so the plenum has been painted in body color by the previous owner and maybe we'll change that in the future so as I said the enthusist they wanted this to be a straight six but this engine being a 4 L is 30 3% larger in engine capacity but it's 25% lighter than the predecessor the s54 3 l straight six from the M3 E46 so that's a remarkable accomplishment by BMW that they got this engine to be as light as it actually is so of course they uh also introduced the power dome in this generation so this piece right here to actually fit the engine they still do this but it's uh like an iconic feature to the M3 nowadays it's not actually necessary anymore but they still do this the power Dome looks really really awesome and another nice detail to the Bonnet is these M3 logos right here both left and right so as you can see these vents or intakes on the top this one isn't functional really but this one actually hooks up to the air intake allowing air to go into the plenum and then underneath here we have eight individual throttle bodies so that's why it sounds as good as it does 0 to 4.5 seconds if you got the DCT version so BMW introduced the Dual clutch unit 4 an M3 on this generation and 4.8 if you have the manual like I do there was also a GTS and a CRT and this is the S65 b40 being a 4 L and they had the S65 B44 a 4.4 L Stroker with 440 horsepower and of course more torque because of the bigger displacement the CRT was the sedan version of the GTS it was really inconspicuous you couldn't see that it was a very limited special performance car it just had a few red details and that was it the GTS however being fire orange was really special and is a legend nowadays the CRT is a bit unknown in that respect so if you want to see a review with the GTS go click in the top right corner so benefit from having the manual even though it's slower to 100 is that it's 30 kilos lighter and I want my cars to be as light as possible what BMW also did is introduce this a carbon fiber roof that well they also did it with the M3 CSL of course but the e92 was the only one of this generation that had it so if you had a E90 which is a sedan a four-door uh you did not have the carbon roof so it was 25 kilos heavier so on the inside lovely interior great comfortable seats with a little M logo in there but they are not really supportive they offer some support but like with really hard cornering H not that great it's in a really nice condition this because of the low mileage and this has that carbon weave leather trim and I love this little fat bmwm steering wheel beautiful analog dolls which we love with a little centered digital cluster right there and it's a sunny day today let's start her up I have the coolest option ever look at that how cool is that that's very James BM so I haven't talked about the elephant in the room because everyone's going like you bought an e92 what about the RW bearings everyone has nightmares about e92 RW bearings well let me show you guys here I have have the old ones 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 yes they replaced all of them let me show you so I demanded them to be replaced when I bought the car they weren't in too bad of a condition but I just wanted them to be completely new before I did this video on the autoban of course we're going to really extract everything from that lovely engine so the exhaust beautiful as I said a chrome quad tip exhaust in 2011 BMW introduced an inconel M performance exhaust and I would just love to get my hands on one of those and put it on this car I'm definitely going to upgrade everything but I want it to be OEM or even better than OEM so let's see what it's actually like and let's see if my stupid this is the stupidest flimsy thing I've ever seen really it never actually hooks up to the seat belt so I have to get it myself and then this piece of plastic goes back in there oh I wish I can code that out what a stupid feature so we also have the first High Drive in a three series and if you just press it you go into the M menu where with M drive you can select your power setting DSC your EDC settings electronic damper control you can choose choose between Comfort normal and Sport let's go for sport DSC so traction control let's go for off but they also introduced M Dynamic mode power of course we wanted to be in Sport Plus to get the most power and servotronic in sport so that's the steering which is actually hydraulic which is just lovely let me tell you let me show you let me just experience everything with you and just enjoy all the lovely features of the e92 M3 so this is in uh normal driving mode and already that engine you can definitely tell when the uh double Vanos kicks in so that's like the variable valve timing uh sort of BMW's VTEC but you know Vanos kicked in just doesn't sound that good but oh it is so silky smooth and one of the nicest V8s that has ever been in a way it reminds me of the V8 from our Ferrari F430 but it's smoother it's less aggressive but it can be aggressive because when I hit this m button a lot of things change like the throttle mapping the power delivery the mapping of the engine like everything it is such a nice engine and that's the 8400 RPM rev limiter so the engine actually won engine of the year in 2008 and in 2009 and in 10 and in 11 and in 12 and in 2013 how the hell did they do that wow that is absolutely remarkable now I have to admit objectively speaking the DCT is the better choice for this car the manual it's a bit clunky it's a bit rubbery it's not a great manual really but I'm just a sucker for a manual I just in the end love them better than with uh a a DCT gearbox I just enjoy them more I have I have more fun driving a manual even though it's a bit weird in this case they definitely did a fantastic upgrade with the G8 manual f8 manual as rubbish as this one but I still love them so during its lifespan the e92 also got offered the the competition pack which offered uh a low ring kit 1 cm lower than this different damper calibration different traction control calibration beautiful 1 M Wheels you can just feel the engine through your throttle paddle just lovely oh that's an Alpena xd3 wow what a sound right so one of the reasons you should get a sedan and not the e92 are are these stupid frameless Windows because they make a hell of a noise which for an alabon lover is quite frustrating so that's the limiter at little over 270 I love that car really so that's Let Me Burn your bubble it's 250 GPS so the problem with E60 M5 and the E90 M3 is that there is this legend that they are super super super quick they have an incredible top speed with an E60 you can do 320 or 330 without any tuning just removing the limiter on the speedo that is on the speedo because when you verify it with draggy 25 HZ GPS Speedo it turns out that like 275 here is 250 on GPS which is just insane same goes for the E60 M5 like a 30 km an hour difference which is just insane to me let's go for third gear and pull from like a 100 and let's do a 100 to 200 there we go I can do this all day such a nice experience so we already did an E90 with a manual transmission with which had like 200,000 km on the car and that did a 12.7 which I thought was so slow so I think that's one of those 360 370 horsepower examples I was mentioning earlier this however because it did a 10.9 so nearly two full seconds quicker which indicates that it's definitely at that 400 horsepower number I guess so another annoying thing is the throttle paddle it has this what is that it's like I'm wearing tap dancing shoes the brake pedal doesn't have it but the top of the throttle pedal is very annoying so maybe BMW offers like an M performance paddle thingy that can remove that frustrating sound let's do one from second gear the more gears the better right even though it's not the best manual I love it when you just nail it when you have a perfect upshift or a perfect downshift it's such a rewarding experience what I don't get is that with the DCT you get like shift lights at the top of the um ref counter and you don't get that with the manual like why not with a manual you should also be able to just look forward and from your peripheral view change gears and focus on your driving but if you really get to know the car you can just hear the amount of RPMs it's doing the sound has such a nice change in tone throughout the Rev range like you can hear the variable valve timing working actually so down low it's really has that V8 grunt this and then the tone compl completely changes to this very edgy V8 honestly it's one of the best engines ever made and I love this car I really do I like the condition of it I like the character of it it's uh definitely a special Driving Experience so the first upgrade will be a full eventuri intake and Plum which is is going to make that intake noise even more full body and of course you know browsing and hunting for other upgrades to this carwhat's up ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this POV review by a topel my name is Martin and this is my new e92 M3 so as you might know I already own a G80 and an f82 so a G8 M3 with a manual transmission so that's a sedan and an f82 M4 a coupe with a DCT gear box and I'm going down the line so I've started with the newest one then the second to newest and this is my latest addition to the evolution M shop the e92 M3 if you guys don't know Evolution M shop we are modifying bmwm models and we are developing parts for them and of course testing them and we are now starting with the M3 E90 platform which is why I bought the car well I also bought it as an enthus iast because I just love this gen of M3 of course because of the V8 but also because of the styling I really like the bulky beefy look of this generation also bought it as an investment because I think these cars will go up in value even more because they have gone up quite a bit over the last like 3 years so I paid quite a lot for this one it's a low mileage 2008 manual transmission model so I'm expecting not to lose any money I'm hoping to earn even on this so let's do a quick walk around the previous owner upgraded to these black wheels of course used to have the default M3 e92 Wheels which I'll show you in this picture right here the owner decided to upgrade to this wheel it still has the pilot Super Sport starm Mark tires so that's an OEM tire two 45 section front tire 19in wheel behind that we have ventilated brake disc steel ones of course and quite an ugly brake caliper so with this generation BMW didn't do any fancy M caliper I do think that this OEM Super Sport michelan tire really suits the car it really sits in between a nice Road used tire and a cup tire from michelan because when they're like cold they have no traction whatsoever and when you get them really nice and hot they really stick and offer a great Driving Experience on the rear axle same Tire of course but this time it's a 265 so a little wider as you can see it's not an lcii it's a 2008 model the e92 M3 was built from 2007 to 2013 and people really prefer the LCI rear lights these are non LCI and what I just love is all the classic details like a chrome M3 badge a chrome quad exhaust and of course this was the successor to the E46 M3 one of the most loved generation of M3 and like the purists they thought this wasn't a good move by BMW can you imagine they did not like it that they put a V8 in there because they wanted it to be a straight six nowadays though we really appreciate this engine we know what it's capable of we know what it sounds like if you haven't heard the sound go watch this video and then come back because it is such an iconic sound it is so sweet and it runs like velvet really really cool so it's the the 4 L S65 V8 capable of doing 8400 RPM 400 newm coming from that 4 lit and 420 horsepower supposedly because many of these have gone on the dyno uh and they did like like the worst ones did 370 and like really good ones did like 4 or 410 but no one ever got that 420 horsepower so it's the from BMW's s85 engine so the V10 from the M5 V60 just with two cylinders cut off and an upgraded ECU so as I said it's it's done only 57,000 km so a really nice example so the plenum has been painted in body color by the previous owner and maybe we'll change that in the future so as I said the enthusist they wanted this to be a straight six but this engine being a 4 L is 30 3% larger in engine capacity but it's 25% lighter than the predecessor the s54 3 l straight six from the M3 E46 so that's a remarkable accomplishment by BMW that they got this engine to be as light as it actually is so of course they uh also introduced the power dome in this generation so this piece right here to actually fit the engine they still do this but it's uh like an iconic feature to the M3 nowadays it's not actually necessary anymore but they still do this the power Dome looks really really awesome and another nice detail to the Bonnet is these M3 logos right here both left and right so as you can see these vents or intakes on the top this one isn't functional really but this one actually hooks up to the air intake allowing air to go into the plenum and then underneath here we have eight individual throttle bodies so that's why it sounds as good as it does 0 to 4.5 seconds if you got the DCT version so BMW introduced the Dual clutch unit 4 an M3 on this generation and 4.8 if you have the manual like I do there was also a GTS and a CRT and this is the S65 b40 being a 4 L and they had the S65 B44 a 4.4 L Stroker with 440 horsepower and of course more torque because of the bigger displacement the CRT was the sedan version of the GTS it was really inconspicuous you couldn't see that it was a very limited special performance car it just had a few red details and that was it the GTS however being fire orange was really special and is a legend nowadays the CRT is a bit unknown in that respect so if you want to see a review with the GTS go click in the top right corner so benefit from having the manual even though it's slower to 100 is that it's 30 kilos lighter and I want my cars to be as light as possible what BMW also did is introduce this a carbon fiber roof that well they also did it with the M3 CSL of course but the e92 was the only one of this generation that had it so if you had a E90 which is a sedan a four-door uh you did not have the carbon roof so it was 25 kilos heavier so on the inside lovely interior great comfortable seats with a little M logo in there but they are not really supportive they offer some support but like with really hard cornering H not that great it's in a really nice condition this because of the low mileage and this has that carbon weave leather trim and I love this little fat bmwm steering wheel beautiful analog dolls which we love with a little centered digital cluster right there and it's a sunny day today let's start her up I have the coolest option ever look at that how cool is that that's very James BM so I haven't talked about the elephant in the room because everyone's going like you bought an e92 what about the RW bearings everyone has nightmares about e92 RW bearings well let me show you guys here I have have the old ones 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 yes they replaced all of them let me show you so I demanded them to be replaced when I bought the car they weren't in too bad of a condition but I just wanted them to be completely new before I did this video on the autoban of course we're going to really extract everything from that lovely engine so the exhaust beautiful as I said a chrome quad tip exhaust in 2011 BMW introduced an inconel M performance exhaust and I would just love to get my hands on one of those and put it on this car I'm definitely going to upgrade everything but I want it to be OEM or even better than OEM so let's see what it's actually like and let's see if my stupid this is the stupidest flimsy thing I've ever seen really it never actually hooks up to the seat belt so I have to get it myself and then this piece of plastic goes back in there oh I wish I can code that out what a stupid feature so we also have the first High Drive in a three series and if you just press it you go into the M menu where with M drive you can select your power setting DSC your EDC settings electronic damper control you can choose choose between Comfort normal and Sport let's go for sport DSC so traction control let's go for off but they also introduced M Dynamic mode power of course we wanted to be in Sport Plus to get the most power and servotronic in sport so that's the steering which is actually hydraulic which is just lovely let me tell you let me show you let me just experience everything with you and just enjoy all the lovely features of the e92 M3 so this is in uh normal driving mode and already that engine you can definitely tell when the uh double Vanos kicks in so that's like the variable valve timing uh sort of BMW's VTEC but you know Vanos kicked in just doesn't sound that good but oh it is so silky smooth and one of the nicest V8s that has ever been in a way it reminds me of the V8 from our Ferrari F430 but it's smoother it's less aggressive but it can be aggressive because when I hit this m button a lot of things change like the throttle mapping the power delivery the mapping of the engine like everything it is such a nice engine and that's the 8400 RPM rev limiter so the engine actually won engine of the year in 2008 and in 2009 and in 10 and in 11 and in 12 and in 2013 how the hell did they do that wow that is absolutely remarkable now I have to admit objectively speaking the DCT is the better choice for this car the manual it's a bit clunky it's a bit rubbery it's not a great manual really but I'm just a sucker for a manual I just in the end love them better than with uh a a DCT gearbox I just enjoy them more I have I have more fun driving a manual even though it's a bit weird in this case they definitely did a fantastic upgrade with the G8 manual f8 manual as rubbish as this one but I still love them so during its lifespan the e92 also got offered the the competition pack which offered uh a low ring kit 1 cm lower than this different damper calibration different traction control calibration beautiful 1 M Wheels you can just feel the engine through your throttle paddle just lovely oh that's an Alpena xd3 wow what a sound right so one of the reasons you should get a sedan and not the e92 are are these stupid frameless Windows because they make a hell of a noise which for an alabon lover is quite frustrating so that's the limiter at little over 270 I love that car really so that's Let Me Burn your bubble it's 250 GPS so the problem with E60 M5 and the E90 M3 is that there is this legend that they are super super super quick they have an incredible top speed with an E60 you can do 320 or 330 without any tuning just removing the limiter on the speedo that is on the speedo because when you verify it with draggy 25 HZ GPS Speedo it turns out that like 275 here is 250 on GPS which is just insane same goes for the E60 M5 like a 30 km an hour difference which is just insane to me let's go for third gear and pull from like a 100 and let's do a 100 to 200 there we go I can do this all day such a nice experience so we already did an E90 with a manual transmission with which had like 200,000 km on the car and that did a 12.7 which I thought was so slow so I think that's one of those 360 370 horsepower examples I was mentioning earlier this however because it did a 10.9 so nearly two full seconds quicker which indicates that it's definitely at that 400 horsepower number I guess so another annoying thing is the throttle paddle it has this what is that it's like I'm wearing tap dancing shoes the brake pedal doesn't have it but the top of the throttle pedal is very annoying so maybe BMW offers like an M performance paddle thingy that can remove that frustrating sound let's do one from second gear the more gears the better right even though it's not the best manual I love it when you just nail it when you have a perfect upshift or a perfect downshift it's such a rewarding experience what I don't get is that with the DCT you get like shift lights at the top of the um ref counter and you don't get that with the manual like why not with a manual you should also be able to just look forward and from your peripheral view change gears and focus on your driving but if you really get to know the car you can just hear the amount of RPMs it's doing the sound has such a nice change in tone throughout the Rev range like you can hear the variable valve timing working actually so down low it's really has that V8 grunt this and then the tone compl completely changes to this very edgy V8 honestly it's one of the best engines ever made and I love this car I really do I like the condition of it I like the character of it it's uh definitely a special Driving Experience so the first upgrade will be a full eventuri intake and Plum which is is going to make that intake noise even more full body and of course you know browsing and hunting for other upgrades to this car\n"