In case you haven't noticed already, BMW makes some of the coolest cult cars on the planet. And unless you a big Russian guy who likes drifting in boats like the X5 M, the coolest of them all is the M3.
Even when it was built with a big, heavy V8 engine, the M3 managed to top all of its competitors dynamically and even had time to best its old economy figures. Yes, the E92 was more efficient than the E46. Now, there's a new M3 and it even has a twin brother, the M4. Hiding our excitement could prove tricky!
The big headline grabber has to be the engine. Under the hood, the 5th gen M compact takes us back in time the 3rd gen model. The 6-cylinder engine sounds like a blast from the past, but is actually a brand new monster, fitted with twin turbos and capable of 431 PS and 550 Nm of torque. It sounds like a small improvement in horsepower but actually, they're improving on the 4-liter V8's figures in a big way.
Thanks to CFRP tech and a variety of weight saving measures, the M4 Coupe weighs 1,497 kg (3,300 lbs) whilst the Sedan tips the scale at 1520 kg (3,351 lbs). With the optional 7-speed DCT, 0 to 100 km/h can be as low as 4.1 seconds.
To put things into perspective, the 911 Carrera 4S takes 4.3 seconds to reach 100 km/h, despite using a PDK gearbox and 4-wheel drive to give it more traction. And what does a 4S cost? €115,000 in Germany right now. The M4 will still be under €80,000 even after you've ordered the auto
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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