Microcar M8 Review: Specs, Generations and Which Version to Buy
Full Microcar M8 specs and overview: a mini car built since 2009 with 6–21 hp, one generation, CVT gearbox and front-wheel drive, plus advice on which version to buy.
The Microcar M8 is a mini car produced from 2009 to the present, with outputs ranging from 6 to 21 hp. If you are comparing Microcar M8 specs, the lineup is simple: one generation, one body style, a CVT gearbox and front-wheel drive on every version. It suits drivers who need a compact, easy-to-operate city runabout with minimal power requirements.
Microcar M8 generations
1 generation (2009–present)
The first and only generation of the Microcar M8 has been in production since 2009. It is offered exclusively as a mini body style with front-wheel drive and a CVT transmission across all 3 modifications. Power output spans from 6 hp to 21 hp, and both notable versions use a 505 cc engine. The Microcar M8 0.5 CVT (6 hp) is the mass-market version of the range and runs on diesel, while the Microcar M8 0.5 CVT (21 hp) is the most powerful version offered.
The fact that every Microcar M8 pairs the 505 cc engine with a CVT and front-wheel drive means the choice between modifications comes down almost entirely to power output. With 3 modifications in total, the range stays easy to navigate: the 6 hp diesel sits at the accessible end, and the 21 hp version tops the lineup with three and a half times the output from the same displacement.
Which Microcar M8 to buy
- 0.5 CVT (21 hp) (1 generation): the most powerful Microcar M8, its 21 hp is 3.5 times the output of the base version from the same 505 cc engine.
- 0.5 CVT (6 hp) (1 generation): the mass-market choice, a 6 hp diesel with the same 505 cc displacement, CVT and front-wheel drive as the rest of the range.
Buying used is straightforward with the Microcar M8 because the model has stayed in a single generation since 2009 — a 2010 car and a recent one share the same body style, CVT gearbox and front-wheel drive layout. The single-generation run means there are no generation changes to research; checking which of the 3 modifications you are looking at, mainly by power output, covers the key differences.
The 6 hp version makes sense where the lowest possible output is the point — it is the mass version of the range for a reason. The 21 hp version is the pick when the M8's mini format is right but the base output is not enough; nothing else in the lineup offers more power, and it keeps the same 505 cc engine, CVT and FWD as every other Microcar M8.