Compare the2023 Bentley Continental GTVS 2023 BMW M8

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Bentley Continental GT have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW M8 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

An active infrared night vision system optional on the Continental GT helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The M8 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Continental GT has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the M8’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Continental GT has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the M8.

Both the Continental GT and the M8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available lane departure warning systems.

The Continental GT comes with a full 3-year/unlimited-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The M8’s 50,000-mile basic warranty expires sooner.

The Continental GT’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 553) than the M8’s 4.4 turbo V8. The Continental GT SPEED’s standard 6.0 turbo 12-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (650 vs. 617) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (664 vs. 553) than the M8’s 4.4 turbo V8.

On the EPA test cycle the Continental GT V8 Coupe gets better fuel mileage than the M8 Competition (15 city/23 hwy vs. 15 city/22 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Continental GT’s fuel efficiency. The M8 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Continental GT has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the M8 (24 vs. 20.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Continental GT offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The M8 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Continental GT’s brake rotors are larger than those on the M8:

For better traction and acceleration, the Continental GT has larger standard rear tires than the M8 (305/35R21 vs. 285/35R20). The Continental GT’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the M8 (315/30R22 vs. 285/35R20).

The Continental GT’s optional 315/30R22 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the M8’s 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Continental GT has standard 21-inch wheels. Only 20-inch wheels are available on the M8. The Continental GT offers optional 22-inch wheels.

The Continental GT offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the M8; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Continental GT offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The M8 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the Continental GT uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the M8, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Continental GT offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. BMW doesn’t offer an active suspension on the M8.

The Continental GT has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Continental GT’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The M8 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Continental GT is 1.8 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the M8.

For better maneuverability, the Continental GT SPEED’s turning circle is 5.2 feet tighter than the M8 Competition Coupe’s (33.8 feet vs. 39 feet). The Continental GT’s turning circle is 7.2 feet tighter than the M8 Gran Coupe’s (35.2 feet vs. 42.4 feet).

The Continental GT has 6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the M8 Coupe (87 vs. 81).

The Continental GT has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.1 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 3.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the M8 Coupe.

The Continental GT Convertible has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more rear headroom and 2.5 inches more rear legroom than the M8 Convertible.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the M8, the Continental GT has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

To shield the driver and passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield, the Continental GT offers an available center sun visor to cover the area between the driver and front passenger visors. The M8 can’t effectively block glare in the center of its windshield.

The Continental GT has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The M8 doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Continental GT offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the M8.