Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve gathered here today to find the answer to the question that has been on everyone’s mind ever since the M4 came out: is it faster than the i8?
Keeping the official tone aside, we’ve always wondered whether the i car could keep up with the fastest M one out there. For the moment, the M3/M4 duo represents the fastest cars BMW makes excepting the limited-edition 30 Jahre M5.
That being said, the numbers are a must in such a comparison. The guys from Auto Bild made a couple of mistakes in their video showing wrong figures for the two cars so here we are to the rescue.
The M4 comes with a 3-liter bi-turbo engine making 431 HP and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque and either a manual or automatic gearbox. Depending on the choice, the car will do 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 or 4.3 seconds, the slower time being attributed to the manual, of course. Furthermore, it’s all the more dependent on the driver that has to be really careful with the throttle.
That’s a problem you won’t get inside the M4 fitted with the 7-speed DCT box that comes with launch control
On the other hand, the i8 uses a hybrid powertrain made up of a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine in the back, making 231 HP and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque and an electric one up front making 131 HP and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque.
The grand total rises to 362 HP and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque, all of it being transmitted over to the wheels thanks to a 6-speed slush box. BMW claims the 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint takes just 4.4 seconds.
Therefore, judging by the numbers the Bavarians provided, the M4 (which in this case is a manual) should be just slightly faster on the 1/4 mile. However, as we said, the driver makes a big difference.
On top of that, the i8 has all-wheel drive so it launches from a standstill a lot faster than the M car. Will the extra power in the M4 be enough to make it up in such a short run?
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