THE arrival of a new BMW M3 heralds a lot of excitement for the select few company car drivers who can stretch to BMW’s compact flagship performance saloon – and a bit of reflected glory for those who drive its tax-friendlier diesel-sipping 3 Series sister models which sell in much larger numbers.
This time around, though, there’s an unfamiliar new badge on offer as well – the BMW M4.
That’s because BMW has decided to split the former 3 series coupe off from the saloon, and turn it into a separate model line in its own right, the 4 Series.
Just as the pinnacle of performance for the 3 Series is provided by the BMW M3, so the fastest version of the 4 Series coupe is badged BMW M4. Despite the name change, though, the M3 and the M4 share most of their technology and offer similar levels of power and performance.
That’s thanks to a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six producing 431 horsepower, which may seem like a bit of a come-down after the previous 4.0-litre V8 but the new, smaller engine is actually more powerful than the old, and an in-line six is more in keeping with BMW’s history.
It’s capable of revving to 7600 rpm, a high figure for a turbocharged engine, so performance should be pretty zesty. Electrically-controlled flaps in the exhaust system just before the rear silencer are used to produce a sporty engine note.
The BMW M3 and M4 are both capable of blasting from a standing start to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds when fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox option, or 4.1 seconds with the alternative self-shifting seven-speed M double-clutch transmission which incorporates launch control technology for a cleaner start off the line.
All M3s and M4s have an artificially-limited 155mph top speed. Combined fuel consumption is 32.1mpg for cars with manual transmissions and 34.0mpg for those with the dual-clutch gearbox. CO2 emissions are 204g/km (manual) and 194g/km (dual-clutch).
