BMW M8 vs BYD Atto 2

What's the difference?

With dramatic looks, a luxurious spec, and impeccable quality, the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe remains supremely well controlled as it delivers eye-widening performance and amazing dynamics. But there’s an ‘edge’ to the experience you need to be ready for. If I was determined to head for the Aussie ‘fast lane’ in a BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe I’d opt for the M850i and pocket a lazy $71K (enough for a cheeky M235i Gran Coupe to add to your collection).

The BYD Atto 2 isn't just the cheapest electric SUV in Australia, it's also one that doesn't feel all that cheap, which is a hell of a magic trick. If it's easy, comfortable city motoring you're after, the Atto 2 delivers in spades. But if your blood type is high octane, there are better driving EVs out there.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Want to start a vigorous car enthusiast discussion (more a verbal punch-up)? Simply ask whether a four-door car can be a coupe.

Traditionally, the answer is no, but over time numerous automotive brands have applied that description to cars with more than two doors, including SUVs!

So, here we are. A four-door ‘Gran Coupe’, and the M8 Competition version retains the smoothly tapering turret and frameless side glass that help give selected BMW four-door models the same swoopy, coupe look.

At close to 4.9m long, a fraction over 1.9m wide, and under 1.4m high, the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe has a firmly planted, low-slung, wide-track stance. Always a subjective call, but I for one, think it looks stunning, especially in our test car’s ‘Frozen Brilliant White’ matt paint finish.

In an era of comically oversized BMW grilles, things are relatively under control here, with a bright black finish applied to that ‘kidney grille’, as well as the huge front bumper air intakes, front splitter, front fender vents, exterior mirrors, window surrounds, 20-inch rims, lip spoiler on the boot, rear valance panel (incorporating a functional diffuser), and quad exhaust tips. The roof’s black, too, but that’s because it’s made of carbon-fibre.

Overall the M8 Competition Gran Coupe is a compelling combination of strong, confident character lines along the bonnet and lower flanks, with tightly wrapped curves following the high hip line, and more organically irregular, yet distinctly BMW shapes in the head- and tail-lights. 

The interior is a beautifully balanced design with a broad centre console sweeping up to the middle of the dash and wrapping around to focus on the driver, in typical BMW fashion.

 The multi-adjustable sports front seats are immaculate, with high-end quilting in the centre section matching a similar treatment in the doors. The dark grey (full) leather trim is offset by carbon and brushed metal trim elements for a cool, calm and focused feel.

Crack the bonnet open and a spectacular ‘BMW M Power’ carbon cover dressing the top of the engine is guaranteed to impress friends and family.

I think it’s a sharp-looking thing, this Atto 2. Kudos to BYD for not making the design look like it’s trying too hard, or like the Atto 2 is something it isn’t. It’s just smooth, sensible small SUV with styling that looks like it will age gracefully.

I like the chunky black moulding which makes it look a bit tougher than it is, plus the LED DRLs and swept back (and spoiler-equipped) roofline add a bit of visual drama.

Inside, BYD has made two pretty good choices. The first is that the cabin feels toned down from the one in the Atto 3 (which is all chunky wheel-style controls and vents). 

This one feels far more sedate and conventional in its design, which I think is a win.

The other good decision is to equip the Atto 2 with soft plastics, rather than hard scratchy ones, in places like the door panels. In some cheaper cars, you feel your elbows constantly rubbing against cheap-feeling plastics, but that’s not the case here.

Too much stuff is still controlled through that central screen, and BYD has an awkward way of shortcutting functions. They call it a three-finger swipe, meaning that if you run three fingers across the screen horizontally you can adjust the climate-control’s fan speed, while swiping horizontally adjusts temp, but it feels like a weird movement.

Of the M8 Competition Gran Coupe’s 4867mm overall length, 2827 of it sits between the front and rear axles, which is a pretty healthy wheelbase for a car this size (and 200mm more than the 8 Series two-door coupe).

Space up front is generous, and one upside of a four-door, rather than two-door coupe, is you’re not struggling quite so much for space to get in and out when parked next to other cars.

Once inside, there’s plenty of storage up front, with a large lidded box/armrest between the front seats, twin cupholders in the centre console, as well as another covered area for wireless phone charging and extra bits and pieces in front of that. Long door pockets provide space for bottles, and the glove box is a decent size. There’s 12V power as well as USB sockets for media connection, with charging outlets in support.

At first glance you’d swear the rear seat was designed as a two-seater only, but when push (literally) comes to shove a centre passenger can squeeze in, legs straddling the rear console.

In terms of legroom, at 183cm (6’0”) I could sit behind the driver’s seat set for my position with knee room to spare, but headroom is another matter, with my noggin making solid contact with the soft Alcantara headlining. It’s the price you pay for this car’s racy profile.

There’s a neatly trimmed storage box and two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, plus door pockets with enough room for small bottles. The rear console houses dual climate controls, twin USB power sockets, and a small oddments tray, as well as buttons for the optional rear seat heating fitted to our test car ($900).

The 440-litre boot is a bit like the car itself - long and wide, but not very high. The rear seat split-folds 40/20/40 if you need more space, and the boot lid is automatic with a hands free function. But don’t bother looking for a spare of any description, a tyre repair kit is your only option.

The Atto 2 measures 4310mm in length, 1830mm in width and 1675mm in height and it rides on a 2620mm wheelbase. It also sits on BYD’s fully-flat EV platform, which helps to maximise space in the back seat.

I’m 175cm tall and could get comfortable behind my own driving position, with enough knee and headroom to ensure I didn’t feel cramped.

There are two ISOFIX attachment points, one in each window seat in the back as well as USB-A and -C connection points.

Boot space is a not cavernous, but also not tiny, 380L with the rear seats in place, growing to 1320L with the rear pews folded flat. Both models also offer a V2L (Vehicle to Load) connection, too, so you can power up household devices.

This thing really is cheap. The BYD Atto 2 arrives with a two-model range kicking off with the Dynamic, at $31,990, before on-road costs, before stepping up to the Premium at $35,990 BOC. They both get the same motor and battery, by the way, so the extra money comes down to extra kit.

The Dynamic rides on 16-inch alloys wrapped in cheaper Westlake rubber, scores LED headlights and DRLs and gets rain-sensing wipers and heated wing mirrors. Inside, there’s a 10.1-inch central touchscreen, an 8.8-inch driver display, synthetic leather seats with manual adjustment up front and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto linked to a four-speaker stereo.

The Premium rides on 17-inch alloys wearing better Hankook rubber, and there’s a panoramic glass roof with a shade and roof racks. Inside, the central screen grows to 12.8 inches, and there’s an eight-speaker stereo and a wireless charge pad. Your seats are now electronically adjusted and heated and cooled. Plus there’s some extra safety stuff, but we’ll cover that off in a second.

The M8 Competition is powered by an all-alloy, 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, featuring direct-injection, as well as the latest version of BMW’s ‘Valvetronic’ variable valve timing and ‘Double-VANOS’ variable camshaft control, to produce 460kW (625hp) at 6000rpm, and 750Nm from 1800-5800rpm.

Designated ‘S63’, the engine’s two twin-scroll turbos are located, along with a cross-bank exhaust manifold, in the engine’s (90-degree) ‘hot vee.’ 

The idea is consistent transmission of exhaust energy to the turbos for improved response, with the reversal of usual practice completed by inlet manifolds positioned on the engine’s outer edges.

Drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed ‘M Steptronic’ (torque converter) auto transmission with ‘Drivelogic’, and dedicated oil cooling, as well as BMW’s ‘xDrive’ all-wheel drive system.

The xDrive set-up is built around a central transfer case housing an electronically-controlled, variable multi-plate clutch, with front to rear drive distribution set to a default 40:60 split.

The system monitors multiple inputs including, wheel speed (and slip), acceleration and steering angle, and is able to vary the ratio up to 100 per cent rear thanks to the ‘Active M Differential.’ 

Both Atto 2 models share the same powertrain - a front-mounted electric motor producing 130kW/290Nm which is sent to the front tyres. It feels fairly sedate, even under flat-footed acceleration, though BYD reckons you can knock off the sprint to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 10.4L/100km, the M8 Competition emitting 239g/km of CO2 in the process.

Despite the standard auto stop/start function, over a week-long combination of city, suburban, and freeway running we recorded a (dash-indicated) average of 15.6L/100km.

Pretty thirsty, but not outrageous when you consider this car’s performance potential, and the fact that (purely for research purposes) we exploited it regularly.

Recommended fuel is 98 RON premium unleaded, and you’ll need 68 litres of it to fill the tank. That equates to a range of 654km in line with the factory claim, and 436km using our real-world number as a guide.

Both models also share the same battery, a 51.1kWh LFP unit, which should unlock a WLTP driving range of 345km. AC charging is pegged at 7.0kW, so a good match for a standard home wallbox, while DC fast charging is 82kW. Using the latter, BYD says you should go from 10 to 80 per cent charged in 38 minutes.

There’s something teutonically symmetrical about the way the M8 Competition Gran Coupe delivers its prodigious thrust.

Peak torque of no less than 750Nm is available from just 1800rpm, remaining on full song across a broad plateau all the way to 5800rpm. Just 200revs later (6000rpm) peak power of 460kW (625hp!) takes over to finish the job, with the rev ceiling sitting just over 7000rpm.

That’s enough to slingshot this 1885kg bruiser from 0-100km/h in 3.2 seconds, which is supercar fast. And the engine and exhaust noise produced by the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 during such rapid acceleration is suitably brutal, courtesy of electronically-controlled flaps in the system opening up. 

On a more civilised drive you can reduce the exhaust noise via an ‘M Sound Control’ button on the centre console.

The eight-speed auto is fast and positive, especially in manual mode, which dials up the fun via wheel-mounted paddles. And when it’s time to direct this car’s forward momentum into lateral movement BMW has brought in the engineering heavy artillery.

Despite its frameless door body structure the M8 Competition Gran Coupe feels solid as a rock thanks in no small part to its ‘Carbon Core’ construction, using four primary components - carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), aluminum, high-strength steel, and magnesium.

Then the ‘Adaptive M Suspension Professional’ (with active anti-roll stabilisation), the tricky xDrive continuously variable AWD system, and active M Sport diff combine to keep everything under control.

Suspension is a double wishbone front, five-link rear arrangement, with all key components in alloy to minimise unsprung weight. In concert with the electronic wizardry on-board, it helps keep the M8 buttoned down with only modest body roll in enthusiastic cornering, as the rear-biased AWD system seamlessly distributes drive to the axle and wheels that can make best use of it.

The price you’ll pay for the track-ready tune is in compromised ride comfort. Even in the ‘Comfort’ setting, the M8 Competition is firm, and feels corrugations and imperfections to a surprising degree.

An alignment of the BMW 8 Series planets left me with the keys to this car and the M850i Gran Coupe (also using the Carbon Core body) at the same time, and the difference between their softest settings is appreciable.

Also be aware that at 12.2m the M8 Gran Coupe’s turning circle is substantial, and it’s just as well all that camera, sensor and self-parking tech is available to help you guide this ship into port.

The M8’s electrically-assisted, variable-ratio steering features an ‘M’ specific calibration to deliver satisfying precision and good road feel. But in similar fashion to the ride a noticeable amount of unwelcome feedback comes through to the wheel.

The fat Pirelli P Zero rubber (275/35 fr / 285/35 rr) grips hard, and the monster brakes (ventilated all around, with 395mm rotors and six-piston calipers up front) wash off speed without fuss or fade.

But overall, you’ll have to live with a less refined drive when you sign on for the M8 Competition. Straight away it feels faster but lacks the M850i’s lighter touch. No matter which drive or suspension mode you select, responses are more aggressive and physical.

To fully explore and enjoy the M8 Competition’s abilities it feels like the race circuit is its most appropriate habitat. On the open road, the M850i is all the Gran Coupe you’re going to need.

Your drive experience in the Atto 2 very much depends on what you ask of it.

Or to put it another way, the first half of my drive route was a breezy run through the city and suburbs, then onto the freeway, before arriving at our destination. 

It was probably 60 kays or so, and across it all the Atto 2 felt quiet and comfortable, with enough power at its disposal to easily get up to speed and stay there. 

In the second half, though, I hunted down some twisting roads and cracks started to appear. The ride is pretty solid and there isn't huge amounts of body roll during more enthusiastic cornering. 

But the steering is vague and there's plenty of slack – you can turn the wheel a fair bit without eliciting much response from the tyres.

Interestingly, turning the wheel with a bit of aggression also produced a weird sound up front, like you could hear the mechanicals shifting the tyres.

The tyres make a difference, too, with the Premium's more expensive Hankook rubber far happier to hang on without squealing than the Dynamic's Westlake tyres. 

But context is key here. The Atto 2 is an accessible, affordable city-focused EV, and it performs those duties admirably. But if you're sold on a car-driver connection, there isn't much of that on offer here.

The Atto 2 is yet to be assessed by ANCAP but there’s no shortage of stuff. The entry-level car gets six airbags, rear parking sensors and all the usual traction tech. Then there’s active cruise, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert in both directions - the list goes on. In fact, the only things the Premium adds on top are a 360-degree camera and front parking sensors. 

BMW offers a three year/unlimited km warranty, which is at least a couple of years off the mainstream market pace, and lagging other premium players like Mercedes-Benz and Genesis, both sitting at five years/unlimited km.

Roadside assistance is included for the duration of the warranty period, and the standard ‘Concierge Service’ provides everything from flight information, to global weather updates, and restaurant recommendations, from a real human.

Technically, service is ‘condition based’ with the car telling you when it’s time to hit the workshop, but you can use every 12 months/15,000km as a guide.

BMW Australia offers ‘Service Inclusive’ packages that require customers to pre-pay for servicing, allowing the cost to be covered off in finance or leasing packages and reducing the need for concern about paying for maintenance further down the track.

BMW says there are different packages available, from three to 10 years, or between 40,000 and 200,000km.

BYD’s warranty is an okay six years but just 150,000km, which is underwhelming compared to the best in the business. The battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.

BYD vehicles typically have 12 month, 20,000km service intervals with capped price servicing, but the details are yet to be confirmed for the Atto 2.