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BMW is preparing a new M4 for 2021, coming in both coupe and cabriolet body styles, where it’ll offer fresh competition for the Mercedes-AMG C 63 and Audi RS 5.
Cosmetically, the new BMW M4 will receive the same makeover as the standard 4 Series, with a pair of enormous kidney grilles, sharp LED headlamps and a reshaped front bumper. BMW’s M-division will also fit their usual selection of design tweaks, adding flared wheel arches, wider side skirts and a more aggressive front splitter.
There’ll be a deeper diffuser at the rear, too, which houses a new quad-exit exhaust system – and the whole car will sit lower to the ground on larger alloy wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Unlike the previous-generation model, the convertible variant will also ditch its folding metal hardtop in favour of a fabric roof, to help keep weight to a minimum.
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
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BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - front tracking
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Inside, we expect to find a pair of sports seats, a new sports steering wheel and the same 10.2-inch iDrive infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital instrument binnacle found on the recently revised standard 4 Series – albeit with unique M-branded graphics.
New BMW M4: engines and drivetrain
Like its chassis sibling, the upcoming sixth-generation BMW M3, the new M4 will feature a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine. However, it won’t be the same S55 engine that was used by the previous-generation model, with BMW electing its all-new S58 unit, which already powers the X3 M and X4 M performance SUVs.
European buyers will be offered a choice of two engine outputs but, like the rest of BMW’s M-badged line-up, UK customers will only be offered the more potent Competition variant.
The entry-level model will produce 473bhp and 600Nm of torque – and it’ll come with a six- speed manual gearbox as standard. The flagship M4 Competition will have an output of 503bhp and an identical 600Nm of torque. It’ll be available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox which, somewhat unusually for a performance car, won’t use a dual-clutch mechanism. Instead, BMW has opted for a traditional torque convertor setup.
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
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BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - front tracking
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We’re yet to receive specific details on the car’s chassis technology but, during our recent pre-production drive of the new M3 and M4, BMW’s M Development Manager Dirk Häcker hinted that it will receive a stiffer front axle, new electronically control dampers and a locking rear differential – along with a set of larger disc brakes.
From launch, the M4 Competition will be rear-wheel drive only – although an all-wheel drive variant is in the works. When pressed about the new drivetrain, Häcker said: “an M xDrive is coming, but only later.”
When the four-wheel-drive model does arrive, though, it’s architecture should be similar to the selectable system found in the new M5 – giving drivers the option of sending up to 100 per cent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels if desired.
New 2021 BMW M4: price
Prices for the new BMW M4 are yet to be confirmed – but its four-door sibling, the M3, is expected to start from around £76,000. Given there’s roughly an £7,500 gulf between the standard 3 and 4 Series, that should put the new M4’s starting price at around £83,500.
What are your thoughts on the new BMW M4 Cabriolet? Let us know in the comments section below…
Continue reading...
Cosmetically, the new BMW M4 will receive the same makeover as the standard 4 Series, with a pair of enormous kidney grilles, sharp LED headlamps and a reshaped front bumper. BMW’s M-division will also fit their usual selection of design tweaks, adding flared wheel arches, wider side skirts and a more aggressive front splitter.
There’ll be a deeper diffuser at the rear, too, which houses a new quad-exit exhaust system – and the whole car will sit lower to the ground on larger alloy wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Unlike the previous-generation model, the convertible variant will also ditch its folding metal hardtop in favour of a fabric roof, to help keep weight to a minimum.
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
image
image
image
image
image
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - front tracking
image
Inside, we expect to find a pair of sports seats, a new sports steering wheel and the same 10.2-inch iDrive infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital instrument binnacle found on the recently revised standard 4 Series – albeit with unique M-branded graphics.
New BMW M4: engines and drivetrain
Like its chassis sibling, the upcoming sixth-generation BMW M3, the new M4 will feature a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine. However, it won’t be the same S55 engine that was used by the previous-generation model, with BMW electing its all-new S58 unit, which already powers the X3 M and X4 M performance SUVs.
European buyers will be offered a choice of two engine outputs but, like the rest of BMW’s M-badged line-up, UK customers will only be offered the more potent Competition variant.
The entry-level model will produce 473bhp and 600Nm of torque – and it’ll come with a six- speed manual gearbox as standard. The flagship M4 Competition will have an output of 503bhp and an identical 600Nm of torque. It’ll be available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox which, somewhat unusually for a performance car, won’t use a dual-clutch mechanism. Instead, BMW has opted for a traditional torque convertor setup.
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
image
image
image
image
image
BMW M4 Convertible spied - rear tracking
BMW M4 Convertible spied - front tracking
image
We’re yet to receive specific details on the car’s chassis technology but, during our recent pre-production drive of the new M3 and M4, BMW’s M Development Manager Dirk Häcker hinted that it will receive a stiffer front axle, new electronically control dampers and a locking rear differential – along with a set of larger disc brakes.
From launch, the M4 Competition will be rear-wheel drive only – although an all-wheel drive variant is in the works. When pressed about the new drivetrain, Häcker said: “an M xDrive is coming, but only later.”
When the four-wheel-drive model does arrive, though, it’s architecture should be similar to the selectable system found in the new M5 – giving drivers the option of sending up to 100 per cent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels if desired.
New 2021 BMW M4: price
Prices for the new BMW M4 are yet to be confirmed – but its four-door sibling, the M3, is expected to start from around £76,000. Given there’s roughly an £7,500 gulf between the standard 3 and 4 Series, that should put the new M4’s starting price at around £83,500.
What are your thoughts on the new BMW M4 Cabriolet? Let us know in the comments section below…
Continue reading...