The Bavarian automaker has some of the most controversial designs across the automotive industry, currently – like the 7 Series and i7, XM, or the X7 LCI. The M3 and M4 join the roster, albeit for a different cause – the vertical treatment applied to the iconic kidney grille.
Born in 2014 as BMW split the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series into separate sedan plus wagon and coupe plus Cabriolet models, the high-performance M4 is basically the direct two-door spiritual successor of the original E30 BMW M3 coupe and convertible. Now in its second generation, the G82 and G83 models are best known for their controversial front fascia design.
What they should really be known for is the incredible performance tucked under the hood and along the driveshaft, though. Powered by the 3.0-liter S58 twin-turbo inline-six engine and paired with either a dying six-speed manual transmission or a quicker eight-speed automatic transmission, the current BMW M4 has at least 473 horsepower at its disposal.
We said at least not only because there is more than one variant available for purchase but also because BMW notoriously underestimates the real pony count for the majority of its engines, resulting, in this case, a sports car that's way more potent both on the road and track than rivals would like to see. Additionally, there are also various upgrades, like switching to Competition models with 503 hp on tap, or the M4 CSL, 3.0 CSL, and M 50 Jahre (anniversary) editions.
Of course, the BMW M4 Competition usually hits the sweet spot for many fans of the Bavarian automaker – and some of them also don't treat them like weekend rides or garage queens. Instead, they also hit the local quarter-mile dragstrip with the intention of obliterating anything that dared to oppose them. But there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have a proper example.
The good folks over at the racing-focused ImportRace channel on YouTube love an excellent showdown at the local quarter-mile dragstrip, and while on point at a Full Throttle Friday event at Orlando Speed World Dragway just recently, they focused a little on a white BMW M4 Competition past its couple of brawls with a bonkers Ram 1500 turbo.
Aside from those skirmishes, the white BMW M4 knight in shiny armor also took on a dark Cadillac that didn't stand a chance (11.64s versus 14.49s), plus a jittery old Mitsubishi that revealed why older cars are a nuisance everywhere, including at the racetrack (11.34s versus 16.3s). On the other hand, the C7 Chevrolet Corvette was in a different league compared to those two – hence the admirable 11.24s versus 12.27s effort from both racers. Last but not least, the mighty BMW M4 also faced the quirky foe of the night – a Genesis G70 sporty sedan, and more of the same obliteration followed, given the slower reaction time and 13.41s pass when compared to the best time of 11.23s.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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