Awhile back, I had the chance to drive the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe, on the road, for a week. I’d previously only driven the M8 Competition Coupe and it was only on track for a few laps. However, from my short time with it, I was really impressed with its speed, surprising agility and sort of bulldog feel. It felt like the car knew that hooning a two-ton-plus GT car on track was a bit naughty, which gave it some personality. So can imagine my excitement when I was handed the keys to a BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe for a week.

That excitement was quickly rewarded with some absolutely ballistic speed once I hit the highway home. The M8 Competition in any form is absurdly fast. It doesn’t matter the speed at which you’re already going, you simply bury your foot and it pins you back into your seat, warps your vision and hurls you at the horizon like a trebuchet. It’s almost dangerous because, unless you’re a fighter pilot, there’s no way to expect that sort of acceleration.

However, once you do that parlor trick a few times and impress your friends, there’s really nothing left. Sure, it’s comfy and quiet and looks great but, after that monster acceleration, there’s not much more excitement. The BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe, despite its aggressive look and the word “Competition” in its name, it’s just another big, squishy, continent-crossing GT car. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, in fact GT cars are among my favorite types of car, but it’s just not what’s expected. Not at its price point and not after looking at it.

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In fact, when you’re not frightening passengers, the M8 is a bit boring. Its limits are so high, its comfort level is so high and its refinement is as such that, unless you’re doing things that are license-losing on the road, it’s so under-stressed that it’s bored. On track, the M8 Coupe was surprisingly good but who’s taking their $167,000 four-door M8 Gran Coupe to the track? I’d say zero-percent of customers will do so. So in all other circumstances, the car feels bored and if the car is bored, so is the driver.

Editor’s Note: For a more in-depth review, read my full written review here.