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BMW M4 Gets Track Tested Against a Porsche 911 Carrera

Ever since the M4 was launched, everybody wanted it to go up against a Porsche. Some wanted to see how it performs against a Cayman, other wanted to get it racing against a 911 but no matter the pick, everyone wanted to see an all out BMW vs Porsche track battle. Well, the guys from EVO made it happen.
Marino Franchitti 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from Youtube
Not only that but they did it the right way. Usually, reviewers are only journalists and no matter how much experience they have behind the wheel of a car, they simply cannot claim that they are just as or even better than a proper race car driver. Maybe there are two exceptions (Jason Plato and Tiff Needell) but that’s about it.

What we do appreciate about this review is that the guys from EVO admitted that there was a need for a proper driver to test these two and got none other than Marino Franchitti to do the driving, the man that won this year’s Sebring 12-hour endurance race. Now, if he doesn’t know a thing or two about driving, then we shouldn’t be driving at all.

The reason why people compare the two is pretty obvious: everybody wants Porsche performance for BMW money. The 911 is more expensive than the BMW even though, on paper, its stats show it’s lagging behind. However, the M4 is more powerful and faster, as well as more practical. It’s not as sharp on a track though.

Marino drove the two back to back and, after a couple of laps found that the less powerful Carrera was faster and more track focused than the M4. What surprised us the most was the fact that for the first time ever, someone said that the PDK transmission felt sluggish and slow compared to the 7-speed DCT unit on the BMW. That simply blew us away as everyone praised Porsche’s device every time it had a change. We guess, not everyone can feel all the small differences like a race car driver...

It's also rather impressive to see the M4 do so well in a comparison with a proper sports car, be that even an entry-level Carrera. On the road, as Marino says, in every day traffic, the M4 would be the better choice and, on the track, unless you know what you're doing, the difference won't matter. What will matter is the $30,000 price difference, the 2 seats and lack of practicality. Considering the 4-door sedan M3 has the same specs, it's the perfect choice for someone who wants to own only one car but also have fun with it.

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