Compare the2023 Porsche 911VS 2023 BMW 8 Series

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the 911 helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The 8 Series doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The 911 offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 8 Series only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the 911 and the 8 Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

The 911 has more powerful engines than the 8 Series:

As tested in Motor Trend the Porsche 911 is faster than the M850i 4.4 turbo V8 (automatics tested):

As tested in Motor Trend the 911 GT3 4.0 DOHC 6-cylinder is faster than the M850i 4.4 turbo V8 (automatics tested):

In a Motor Trend race course test, the Porsche 911 S Coupe was clocked 3.88 seconds faster than the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe (95.52 sec. vs. 99.4 sec.).

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the 911 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability. The 8 Series doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the 911 Coupe gets better mileage than the 8 Series Coupe:

On the EPA test cycle the 911 4 Auto with its standard engine gets better fuel mileage than the M850i Convertible (18 city/24 hwy vs. 17 city/24 hwy).

The 911’s optional fuel tank has 5.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the 8 Series (23.7 vs. 18 gallons).

The 911 offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and fuel economy. The 8 Series doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The 911 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 8 Series doesn’t offer an SMG.

For better stopping power the 911 Turbo S/Sport Classic’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 8 Series:

The 911 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The 8 Series doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The 911 stops much shorter than the 8 Series:

For better traction, the 911 Turbo S/GT3/Sport Classic’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 8 Series (F:255/35R20 & R:315/30R21 vs. F:245/35R20 & R:275/30R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 911 has standard 20-inch rear wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the 8 Series. The 911’s optional 21-inch rear wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the 8 Series.

The 911 GT3 handles at 1.16 G’s, while the M850i xDrive Coupe pulls only .98 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 911 GT3 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the M850i xDrive Coupe (22.3 seconds @ .95 average G’s vs. 24.2 seconds @ .85 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the 911 GT3’s turning circle is 4.1 feet tighter than the 8 Series’ (34.1 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The 911’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the 8 Series xDrive’s (36.8 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Porsche 911 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 900 pounds less than the BMW 8 Series.

The 911 is 1 foot, 1.3 inches shorter than the 8 Series, making the 911 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The 911 Coupe has .1 inches more front legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the 8 Series Coupe.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 13% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the 911 (except Cabriolet/GT3) offers an optional rear wiper. The 8 Series doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The 911 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 8 Series doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The 911 (except Manual/GT3)’s optional Active Parking Support can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote ParkAssist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The 8 Series’ automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The 911 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the 911 will retain 56.25% to 60.11% of its original price after five years, while the 8 Series only retains 42.36% to 43.82%.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2019 issue and they ranked the Porsche 911 S Coupe first. They ranked the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe tenth.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 911 first among premium sporty cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The 8 Series isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Porsche 911 outsold the BMW 8 Series by 100 units during 2022.