When the first rumors about BMW replacing the iconic M3 Coupe with a brand new model and hiding the moniker somewhere in the history books, a bit of panic spread over the internet.
Most people complained that they simply can’t do this, that the M3 Coupe name must live on and so on but then again, they probably didn’t know how different even the 3 Series Coupe used to be compared to the sedan version.
Nowadays, we don’t have the 3 Series Coupe moniker either but people started understanding why and you don’t hear anyone complaining anymore, not about the 4 Series at least.
Therefore, the M4 did make sense, especially considering the new naming scheme employed in Munich that has all cars with a coupe body (or Gran Coupe) use even numbers and all the rest odds. However, how does it stack up against its predecessor?
Looking at the specs, you’d think that the new model will have absolutely no problem in dealing with the old one. Sure, the engine is 1-liter smaller in displacement, going from a naturally aspirated 4-liter V8 to a more traditional 3-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder but there’s one crucial detail to keep in mind here.
And that aspect is forced induction. While the power went up by just 11 horsepower, the torque was improved by a whopping 40 percent, going from 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) to 550 Nm (406 lb-ft). To better put that in perspective, think about the fact that a modern-day 20d model has the same amount of torque as the E92 M3.
That wasn’t the only change, though. The weight factor also had to go down by a considerable amount and the M4 became nearly 200 kilos (441 lbs) lighter than the M3 in similar configurations. All of that was doable due to lightweight materials being used in critical areas, like the CFRP roof and prop shaft.
On paper, from a standstill, the M4 should be about half a second faster but how will the two stack up when going at it from a roll? Let’s see.
Google News