M8 Competition Gran Coupé

There are cars for hairpins and cars for journeys: the M8 Competition Gran Coupé belongs to the second family, the rarer one. On an island where distances deceive — Olbia to Cala Gonone is an hour and a half of corners and tunnels heading south, and Cagliari lies a world beyond that — having 625 hp, all-wheel drive and four doors means arriving everywhere fresh and on time.

It is also the right car for the social season of the north-east: a long, low silhouette, matte Frozen Bluestone paint that drinks in the light of the sunsets, and four seats for arriving at dinner in company. Anyone orbiting between Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo will find practical advice on deliveries, routes and evenings in our guide to supercar rental on the Costa Smeralda.

The 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 speaks differently from the M straight-sixes: lower, fuller, a muted growl at idle building into a crescendo that fills the cabin without ever becoming intrusive. The 0–100 km/h sprint of 3.2 seconds is a pure supercar figure, yet the dominant sensation is not brutality: it is the inexhaustibility of the in-gear surge, when the eight-speed gearbox drops two ratios and the horizon rushes closer.

The chassis hides the dimensions: M xDrive favours the rear axle, the steering is surprisingly quick for a car more than five metres long, and the suspension reads Sardinia's not-always-perfect asphalt with a flagship's composure. In Comfort you travel in an armchair; in Sport, the Gran Coupé tightens itself around the driver.

The M8 Competition also exists as a Cabriolet: two doors, a fabric roof and the same 625 hp V8, for those who want to hear the exhaust note reflected off the cliffs with no glass in between. It is the choice of guests who live the coastline more than the crossings — typically by the week, between beaches, marinas and sunset aperitifs.

The Gran Coupé, though, remains the favourite of those who traverse the island: it embodies the spirit of the grand tourers for rent in Sardinia, where the horsepower matters as much as the kilometres dispatched without effort. If in doubt, the concierge helps you choose by itinerary, passenger count and the luggage coming along.