REVIEW: 1:18 GT Spirit BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition (Ametrine)

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yellowcamaro
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REVIEW: 1:18 GT Spirit BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition (Ametrine)

Post by yellowcamaro » Sun Feb 27, 2022 11:24 am

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Sedans are my thing, but I’ve always been on the fence over this particular M8 Gran Coupe. The ametrine colour in BMW’s press photos were nothing short of stunning, but when GT Spirit released the slightly smaller version that fits in your bedroom, it didn’t hit the spot for me immediately. The colour tone seemed a bit off. GT spirit then released a frozen bluestone version, which seemed to tick the right boxes, but was mostly sold out by the time I was ready for one. Now a persistent cousin of mine made me take a second look at the original ametrine release, which was still available at a local store without any price inflation, almost 1.5 years after its release. Thanks to the nudging, I started to realise that this was actually an overlooked gem of a model after all.

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Let’s address the elephant in the room: the colour. Now this is quite a tricky colour to film or photograph, as it has a mix of brown and deep red, appearing differently under various lighting conditions. Love it or not, what’s undeniable is the deep gloss and metallic sparkle it offers- testament to the outstanding paint quality. Even GT Spirit’s official photos didn’t capture the actual depth this colour has - the glass-like clear coat is a sight to behold. The darker shade also tones down the M8’s gaping air vents front and rear. In terms of styling, I prefer the Alpina B8’s understated look but no one makes that, so this is the closest we get, at the end of the day it’s the beautiful proportions of the 8 series gran coupe that I wanted. Couple the paintjob with some nice glossy black bits (grill, wing mirrors, window trim, aprons, spoiler, exhausts) and we get a very premium looking model here. Add to that a nice carbon roof. Speaking of which, the carbon application isn’t exceptionally smooth. A Norev does it better, for reference.

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At the front we have some nifty looking headlamps and perforated air vent grills, so all good here. Moving around to the back, yes, let’s take a moment to appreciate how good sport sedans look with a powerful set of round quad exhausts. Finished in gloss black. What a stance. Given that the automotive world has already tipped over into the electrification phase, I wonder how long more we’ll get to see real exhausts on cars.

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Looking at the interior, this is quite unique for me simply because of the colour. Many cars sport tan interiors, but this really elegant light grey ones don’t come by too often. And while you might think this shade is at home in a Lexus, it works surprisingly well here, adorned with M8 badges on the seats and sporting quilt stitching which brings Bentleys to mind. The lighter shade also helps with the texture appearance, as the seats and door cards actually look plusher than the tan interior in the bluestone M8. And not to mention, it provides a nice visual contrast to the dark exterior. Speaking of contrast, you also get gold brake calipers set behind the 2 tone wheels.

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Now to nitpick a little, I wish the steering wheel was chunkier and red M buttons painted - a missed opportunity there! And if I can draw your attention to the centre console, note that the iDrive controller is closer to the driver, and the gear knob further away. It should be the other way round. It looks like an incomplete conversion to LHD, guessing GT Spirit was in a hurry to get this M8 ready for the North American market :P Another minor matter-the rear spoiler doesn’t quite sit flush with the bodywork on my car.

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But overall, I think the photos speak for themselves, GT Spirit has done an excellent job with this model. I can be picky with details, but over here, there’s plenty to be happy with. The proportions, details, front & rear wheel tracks, ride height - all look good and I believe this design will stand the test of time. This could well be one of the last relatively conservative BMWs ever made, with the exception of the upcoming 5 series replacement. We’ll see.

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Last edited by yellowcamaro on Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:51 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: REVIEW: 1:18 GT Spirit BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition (Ametrine)

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Sun Feb 27, 2022 11:27 am

Thanks for the review!

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Re: REVIEW: 1:18 GT Spirit BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition (Ametrine)

Post by yellowcamaro » Sun Feb 27, 2022 11:33 am

You're welcome!

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Re: REVIEW: 1:18 GT Spirit BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition (Ametrine)

Post by Gavin » Mon Feb 28, 2022 11:23 am

Good looking model & I LOVE the color combo.

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Re: REVIEW: 1:18 GT Spirit BMW M8 Gran Coupe Competition (Ametrine)

Post by yellowcamaro » Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:39 am

Gavin wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 11:23 am
Good looking model & I LOVE the color combo.
Good to hear.. I was still not 100% sure when buying but phew, turned out to be a beauty in the metal (or resin).

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