An ounce more
For the second part of the Best Monday of the Year Until Now (see here for the first part) we were allowed to enter the track with the BMW M4 Competition and its brother with two extra doors. We don’t often envy the colorblind (although it can save a lot of time at a traffic light), but today is an exception. For this BMW M4 (G82) Competition, the brand had the Ikea of Amsterdam implode on the interior. Outspoken, shall we call it that?
Our BMW M4 (G82) Competition is also equipped with the BMW M Race Track Pack for 16,676 euros. The package makes the car 25 kilos lighter with, for example, carbon-ceramic brakes and spectacular-looking bucket seats. The chairs have two special features. The first is a kind of holder in the seat to accommodate types that you can physically see that they have guts. The second trick is that the headrest cushion can be removed with two screws, so that you have more space for your helmet. There are two holes at the shoulders, but there is no option for a four- or five-point belt.
Good for the track
Furthermore, the chairs are fine, although we can imagine that the hard sides of the seat are less comfortable than those of the standard chairs for long distances. BMW also places a head-up display with the Track Pack, and that is a requirement if you want to go on the track every now and then. With the full focus on the road surface, it’s nice to have the rev counter and gear in peripheral view.
The BMW M4 (G82) is heavy
A saving of 25 kilos sounds like a lot, but on the total weight of 1,800 kilos, it is at most a big drop on an even stronger glowing plate. The new M4 weighs 75 kilos more than the BMW M440i and almost 200 kilos more than the previous M4. Useless but very relevant extra info: the first generation Chrysler 300C weighed even less.
You might expect the handling of a washed up whale, but then you don’t know the people of the M-Division yet. Sure, you do feel like you’re on the road with some weight, but the engineers did a great job of dressing it down. The BMW M4 reacts ready to the pedal, steers eagerly and the brakes make speed disappear even faster than you do the first beers on the terrace after the lockdown. And with just as much cheerfulness, because the coupé clearly shows that it releases a lot of power to the rear wheels.
The BMW M4 (G82) Competition is sure to break out
A little too early on the gas and the rear begins an attempt to overtake on the front. The car passes this on perfectly, so that you don’t slow down even in your first laps, but you immediately have the guts to accelerate and countersteer. By the way, we drove in M Dynamic Mode, where the ESP allows some playfulness, but intervenes if you go too far. The severity of the mode can be set in ten steps, once you’ve worked your way through the menus. Of course, all traction systems can also be switched off completely.
Do you notice much difference with the BMW M3 Competition?
After a few laps we were allowed to transfer to the BMW M3 Competition. In terms of power and sprint times, the two are equal, but compared to the four-door, the center of gravity of the M4 is lower and the chassis would be slightly more sporty. What do you notice about that? Not unbelievably much. Especially if you only get a short taste of both cars, the differences are almost impossible to notice. And they are certainly not big enough to be the deciding factor in choosing one or the other. Go for the body shape that you find the most beautiful or the most convenient. Either way, you’ll get plenty of pounds for your money, and plenty of performance and driving pleasure.
