The 2021 BMW M4 Coupe has that great grille and the craziest seats I’ve ever seen

Yes, this is actually the new 2021 BMW M4, and yes, it really does have the same massive kidney grill as series 4 regular. (Well, they’re a little different, but I’ll get to that.) And again, yeah, I know you probably hate the grille, as most of the Roadshow staff do too. But the new generation M4 is about much more than the wild style of the front end – it also has a couple of wild-looking seats. I’ll get to that later too.

What you Really What we need to know about the new BMW M4 is that it is more powerful, faster, wider, heavier, faster, and packed with much more technology than the current model. (BMW also introduced the 2021 M3 sedan, which is mechanically the same as this two-door and has the same controversial front end, but it deserves its own story.)

Faster, faster and more powerful

I’ll get the performance out of the way first. The 2021 M4 uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine, an improved version of the same engine found in the X3 M and X4 M. Like the new M3 (and current generation model) ), the M4 is available in both ‘base’ trim and with Competition package. The standard car has 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, while the Competition gets 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet, 48 hp more than the current M4 and 59 hp and 73 lb-ft from the current M4 Competition.

The 2021 BMW M4 coupe is bigger, more powerful and uglier than before

See all photos

While the base car has a six-speed manual transmission as the only transmission option, an eight-speed automatic is the only transmission for the competition. BMW says the manual is 50 pounds lighter than the automatic and offers better weight distribution, and it has a rev-adjusting feature that can be turned on or off. The automatic, on the other hand, has three different modes to toggle.

BMW claims the regular M4 will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, matching the outgoing car, while the M4 Competition will do it in 3.8 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the outgoing competition. Top speed is limited to the German standard of 155 mph, but with the optional M Driver package rising to 180, a 6 mph increase over the 2020 model.

For the first time for the M3 / M4, all-wheel drive will be available in summer 2021 as an option for models equipped with the Competition package. An active rear differential sends torque only to the rear wheels until more front-end traction is needed, and like the current M5, the M4’s xDrive system will have a 2WD mode for maximum drift action.

Each M4 has an adaptive suspension setup, variable-ratio steering with two specific modes, a special mode for the stability control system that allows for more slip, and brakes with adjustable pedal feel (larger carbon ceramic brakes are optional ). An M Drive Professional package that adds a Track driving mode, as well as a new 10-stage adjustable traction control system accessed through an iDrive menu.

BMW assures us that the new M4 is more agile and better to drive than before, but we will have to wait until we have one in our hands to find out.

Let’s talk about those kidneys

Well, about the style. BMW says the new M3 and M4 are more differentiated from non-M cars than ever, and that seems correct. The massive kidney grille of the normal Series 4 is present, but on the M the kidneys are slimmer and more angular and are actually divided in two by the bodywork; in normal 4, the surrounding border visually connects them. The M4’s kidneys also have horizontal slats instead of the 4’s strange no-mesh pattern, and their shape is reflected in the indentations in the hood. Before you complain too much about how the grill looks, keep in mind that BMW says it was “designed to feed the enormous amounts of air necessary to meet cooling requirements under the most rigorous conditions.” Function over form!

Kidneys aside, the front end of the M4 is pretty tame for a modern M car. The intakes flanking the kidneys feed cooling air to both the brakes and the engine, and are surrounded by an angled surface and vertical ‘air curtain’ intakes on the edges of the bumper that give the impression of a smiling mouth. The deeper side skirts have a glossy black bottom trim that also appears on the front splitter and rear diffuser, which according to BMW is inspired by race cars and actually has aerodynamic benefits. The square rear bumper has vertical reflectors, while the diffuser houses two sets of large exhaust tips that have multiple noise level modes.

Compared to the 2020 M4, the new car is 4.6 inches longer, 0.7 inches wider, 0.4 inches taller, and has a 1.8-inch longer wheelbase, and the base M4 weighs 205 pounds more than the 2020 model, while the slightly heavier Competition is just a 195-pound gain. The 2020 M4 is also 1.4 inches wider overall than a 2021 Series 4 coupe. The flared fenders allow for a 1.5-inch wider front track and there’s a faux-vent styling element up front, but overall the look Widebody is not as obvious as in the M3 sedan. The M4 has a staggered wheelset as standard, size 275 / 40ZR-18 at the front and 285 / 35ZR-19 at the rear. Competition models are upgraded to a set of 275 / 35ZR-19 front and 285 / 30ZR-20 rear, and each wheel pack uses performance tires that don’t go flat.

As standard, the M4 has a roof made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which lowers the center of gravity, but a steel roof with a moonroof is a no-cost option. The regular M4 is available with a Shadowline package that darkens much of the exterior trim and is standard on the Competition trim, while Competition buyers can specify some of those gloss black body-color components to look like the model. regular. There’s also a carbon fiber exterior package, and the M4 is offered in six new colors, including the Sao Paolo yellow you see here.

Crazy seats, awesome technology

Okay, now we go to my favorite part. Look at those damn seats! They are crazy! What you see in these photos are the new optional M Carbon bucket seats, which are 21 pounds lighter than the standard seats and can be set lower. These power front seats use CFRP and have a series of cut-outs in the seat backs and side bolsters, as well as a fixed headrest and an illuminated M4 logo. These seats also allow multi-point seatbelts as a factory option, although that won’t be offered in the US.

However, it’s not just the design of the seats that I love, it’s the color scheme. The fiery Sao Paolo yellow paint that the M4 wears in these photos is enhanced by an absolutely wild combination of navy blue, yellow and Yas black in the interior that makes use of leather, Alcantara and interesting perforated details. If this is too much for you, there are three other tamer options to choose from.

Seating and color aside, the changes to the interior are fairly moderate. There’s a new steering wheel with two configurable drive mode buttons and a huge pair of paddles for automatic models, an M-specific electronic gear shifter, and plenty of red accents and M badges. Aluminum trim is standard, but carbon fiber or gloss black trim is optional.

Each M4 will have a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.25-inch center touchscreen with BMW’s latest iDrive 7 system. Navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an intelligent voice assistant and BMW ConnectedDrive services are included. The M4 gets unique displays for the two displays and the available front display, and the optional M Drive Professional package I mentioned earlier also adds features like a lap timer, drift analyzer, data logger, and other useful day-of-day displays. track. It can also be paired with the driver’s smartphone and information can be shared online.

The 2021 M4 comes with a ton of other features as standard, such as ambient lighting, keyless entry, Harman-Kardon sound system, automatic high beams, heated seats, and parking sensors. Blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and lane departure warning are also standard, while only the Competition model is available with the Driving Assistance Professional package that adds adaptive cruise control with stop-start and cruise assist. traffic jam, active lane keeping assistant and some other features. Other options include gesture controls, ventilated seats, a power trunk, and laser adaptive headlights.

When the new M4 goes on sale in March 2021, it will start at $ 72,795, including destination, a modest increase of $ 2,650 compared to the 2020 model. On the other hand, the Competition package only costs $ 2,900 for the new car. , a savings of $ 1,850 compared to the 2020 M4 Comp package. Pricing for the AWD system or any of the other options is not yet known; that information should arrive in the near future.

In addition to this M4 coupe and the M3 sedan, there will also be an M4 convertible and potentially an M4 Gran Coupe. And while Europe will get an M3 wagon For the first time in history, that long-roof variant will sadly stay away from the US.