BMW M3 and M4 2014 Review - International

Six seems to be a lucky number for BMW’s mid-size M. The new M3 sedan and M4 coupe deliver more refinement than previous generations of M3, yet give nothing away in terms of performance or outright track pace. A new twin-turbo six and revised seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox combine to generate an uncanny blend of near-supercar pace and real-world manners while the chassis is more than capable of anything you can throw at it, making them the best M cars yet.

“In an F1 or Le Mans car, this corner is flat. In our M3 or M4, it’s not so flat,” were the words that came through the radio.

They were Martin Tomczyk’s. A works BMW DTM driver, he served them up with the simple, matter of fact delivery you might expect from an immensely talented wheelman.

And the deadpan delivery was only heightened by the fact that at that very moment I could see his M4 coupe was clearly out of shape, as its front and then back ends unweighted over the crest that’s the entry to the Portimao circuit’s long, plunging final corner.

A few car length back I was waiting for the same slide. But at least I had two hands on the wheel and didn’t have to talk. Martin, in contrast, was holding a walkie talkie in one hand and watching me in his mirrors…

There’s no car that better defines BMW than the 3 Series and its renamed coupe variant, the 4. And in the same way, there’s no more quintessential M car than the M3. So when generation change is visited upon the M3, it’s big news.

And expectations are ramped sky high. So high in this case, I had steeled myself to be disappointed. Perhaps only a little, but disappointed just the same.

But at that moment, just three-quarters of a lap into short track session at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, my concerns evaporated... Once again the boffins from BMW M Gmbh have nailed it.

The fifth generation of the M-designed and engineered mid-size Beemer might be the birth of a new M number (M4), but it is at the same time a return to the inline six-cylinder engine configuration that effectively built the model’s iconic status in the E36 and E46 generations of 3 Series.

This time in the place of the second- and third-gen M’s atmo sixes, there’s a twin-turbo unit of ‘only’ 3.0-litre capacity. Don’t underestimate the powerplant though – with 317kW and 550Nm, it easily overpowers the 252kW six of the E46 but also the 309kW 4.0-litre V8 in the E90/92 series M3s it now replaces.

Coupled with the latest generation of BMW’s M-DCT dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox, the new M4 will sprint to 100km/h in just 4.1 seconds – fully 0.5sec quicker than its V8 predecessor. Top speed is academic – the sheer midrange stomp of the new engine is not. By any measure the new M3 sedan and M4 coupe are quicker cars on the track and on the road.

And as is the want of car-makers these days, they are also significantly more fuel-efficient: 8.3L/100km on the Euro combined cycle compared to V8’s 11.2.

The heart of the new M3/M4 draws on existing BMW engine architecture and in that sense is not the latest in BMW tech. Never mind the basic building blocks, however -- results are what counts.

This is a thoroughly modern powerplant that features direct fuel-injection plus variable camshaft control on both cams. Under-square (84 x 89.6mm), the six boasts a racetrack-spec oiling system good for 1.2g in any direction and it revs with urgency beyond 7500rpm. It also runs high compression for a forced induction engine at over 10:1.

Two equally sized turbos service three cylinders apiece and feature electronic wastegates for more accurate and faster boost control. The single-scroll turbos themselves are tiny and each has a separate cast manifold which is designed to tuck them close to the block and generate the shortest path from the exhaust valves; again to ensure that this turbo tear-away exhibits little of the bane of forced induction engines -- lag.

At the inlet side of the engine, an indirect water-air intercooler shortens the intake path, delivering cool oxygen rich air and frees up the breathing, again with the intention of maximizing the response of the mill. We can vouch it works exactly as advertised.

Peak torque is a massive 40 per cent improvement on the V8. And that full stomp is available from 1850rpm right the way through to 5500. By way of comparison, the E92 V8 M3’s 400Nm torque peak was at 3900rpm.

At 2000rpm (110km/h in seventh) there is fully 70 per cent more torque from the new six than the old M3 V8 could muster. On the track (in hooligan mode) this translates to the ability to turn the rear Michelins to smoke with a tweak of the right foot. More practically, on the road, it means that you can choose from two or three gears for corners – performance and very fast point to point times are effortless as a result.

Peak power of the twin-turbo six is reached at 5500 and stays on tap until 7300rpm. This ‘decapitated’ power curve alone hints at the potential that remains in the powerplant which at 205kg ready to rumble is 10kg lighter than the V8. And like great BMW M sixes of the past, the new S55B30 (BMW’s internal designation for the engine) is canted at 30 degrees to fit in the engine bay.

Two gearboxes are offered. In most marketplaces BMW M expects the seven-speed M-DCT dual-clutch to account for more than 80 per cent of volume. In the E90/92 that proportion was in excess of 75 per cent – only a propensity for US M3 buyers to spec manual kept the ratio so high.

The DCT has been updated for the new-generation M3/M4 and is all but faultless. Launch control is standard and so too is a new ‘Smokey Burnout’ mode.

If there was ever proof required that M engineers are petrol-heads this is it. With the stability control disabled just tramp on the loud pedal and the computer dumps the clutch from 3000rpm and away you go – with the requisite smoke screen.

Even at its most aggressive settings, however, the DCT is never harsh. Shifts are fast and acceleration seamless whether you use the steering wheel paddles, gearlever or stick to auto. Around town, with ‘Efficient’ mode selected, the DCT does a fair approximation of a ‘normal’ auto. You can’t ask for much more.

Purists will applaud the fact this generation of M3/M4 retains the choice of conventional manual (it’s a no cost option Down Under). The reality is, there is no sensible reason to handicap yourself this way. When F1 and WRC cars go back to three pedals, I’ll entertain the thought – as far as M cars go, in my book, the manual is dead.

For the record, the six-speeder is based on that used in the 1 Series M Coupe but has been re-engineered to cope with the higher torque loads of the new mill. Trainspotters will wish to note it’s 12kg lighter than the gearbox it replaces, gets shorter throws and claims better shift feel. BMW has added electronic downshift rpm matching but on the manual yours truly drove -- albeit briefly -- we couldn’t get the system to work.

BMW’s excellent electronically controlled multi-plate limited-slip Active M Differential does its best to get all those Newton-metres to the tarmac and in the corners shuffles grip left and right to make sure the M3/M4 is going forward as well as sideways. Well, that’s the theory…

Seriously, one of the most endearing aspects of this new M car is its ability to match your mood. Want to cut hard, fast, accurate laps – it has all the hardware to do so. Feeling like a hooligan? Step (out sideways) this way, sir.

M carbon ceramic brakes are available as an option for the first time on an M3. Paired with monoblock six-piston calipers at the pointy end (four-piston rear), the ‘black’ brakes are racetrack-ready, giving fade-free performance lap after lap. On the road, they were mercifully squeal-free too, and, unlike some ceramics offered by other brands, work consistently from the first application.

The standard steel brake rotors feature alloy carriers and at the front are matched with four-piston calipers (two-piston rear). As all of the M3s and M4s at the Portugal launch were fitted with the optional ceramics we can’t comment directly on the effectiveness or otherwise of the standard stoppers.

Aussie M3 and M4 buyers benefit from an extra dollop of standard equipment compared to European markets. One of our ‘wins’ is standard 19-inch forged alloy wheels.

The sole tyre supplier for the M3/M4 currently is Michelin which has developed dual-compound Pilot Super Sport rubber specifically for BMW. On the track these tyres seemed almost inexhaustible, alas on road they are far from the quietest hoop out there. We’ll reserve judgement until we drive the M3/M4 in our own backyard, but it’s our guess that road noise might be one of the few flies in the M3/M4 ointment Down Under.

It’s a measure of the differentiation of the M sedan, coupe and, eventually convertible, from their donor 3 and 4 Series models in this generation that for the first time they get a standalone internal model code. Instead of wearing the standard 3’s F30 moniker, for example, the new M3 is officially the F80 and the coupe F82.

If this seems like trivia to you you’re probably reading the wrong road test – that these M cars now have their own place in the BMW head office ‘dictionary’ is telling.

The M4 is wider and a touch more curvaceous than the standard BMW coupe – already pumped from its sedan counterpart. The M3 therefore now looks like a positive hotrod thanks to Gurney flap rear spoiler and generously flared rear guards – necessary to cover the much wider track of the 4 Series derived M rear suspension which (unlike the donor cars) is standardised across sedan and coupe.

The Ms also have unique front and rear suspension hardware with, for the first time, virtually no carry-over parts from the standard BMWs. The rear-end’s five-link system is bespoke, features all-alloy construction (many parts are forged) and the steel subframe to which it’s attached is for the first time bolted directly to the body-in-white.

BMW says unsprung weight savings are substantial and the direct connection improves chassis rigidity and driver feel.

M Division has also stiffened up the front-end with a combination of more forged aluminium suspension components and a beautifully sculptured boomerang-shaped carbon-fibre strut brace.

It’s not the only carbon-fibre in the car – and we don’t just mean trim items. In their evolution from standard to M, the cars gain CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) boot lid and roof (the sedan gets a carbon roof too),as well as a reinforcing roof bow and a one-piece carbon tailshaft that looks like its straight from a racecar.

Aerodynamics are bespoke, there’s a noticeable step up in cabin quality in this generation of M3/M4 and all the normal BMW safety goodies are standard. But at this juncture I’m guessing you’re sick of facts and figures and want to know what the cars are like to drive.

Frankly, such was the build-up to this new generation of M3/M4 that I came to the drive program prepared to be disappointed. It’s a measure of the sheer depth of the abilities of the new car then that both sedan and coupe not only matched my expectations but in some areas surpassed them.

Some of the most brutal competent cars built today miss out on one important aspect – driver engagement. They do things well, almost in spite of the nut behind the wheel. In almost every way the new M3/M4 is a car that still flatters a driver’s ability but also generates an enormous amount of engagement.

There’s little to separate the performance of the sedan and coupe – just over 20kg separate the two (both are up to 80kg lighter than the E90/92 generation) and the rest of the mechanical offering is all but identical. Chassis settings are bespoke and via simple centre console mounted buttons you’re able to tune the electric power assisted steering, Adaptive M suspension and engine and gearbox characteristics through three choices. And for once, there’s noticeable difference between the modes.

On the track with all the controls ‘turned up to 11’ and stability control in MDM (M Dynamic Mode), the M3/M4 is as sharp a tool as almost any sports car you can name. On the road the cars are super quick and stupendously capable, yet at the same time a leap ahead from their predecessors in terms of refinement.

There’s suppleness to the ride in the softest setting on both sedan and coupe yet wheel and body control remain strong points. Steering is unerringly accurate and direct – but at the same time never busy nor over active.

Although the new six doesn’t have the strident metallic timbre of the V8, in its place is a melody that starts beefy and profound at low revs and rises steadily to be seriously shrill at the redline. And throttle response is a standout – and not just for turbocharged equivalents.

The greatest praise you can give this engine in my opinion is that it feels like a big powerful atmo six. No overboosting histrionics, just millimeter-perfect metering between right foot and rear wheels.

But unlike the V8-engined E90/92 M3 you don’t feel like you have to be drive at 8/10s just to get the best from the powerplant. Real urge kicks in from below 2000rpm and grip levels are high. On good quality tarmac you need to be very hard at it or ham-fisted to get the traction light blinking.

Quite simply, I find it very difficult to fault any aspect of the M3/M4’s dynamics.

Set to go on sale in Down Under next month (June 2014), local specifications and pricing for the M3 and M4 has already been announced. I’m already over my word limit so I won’t regurgitate the info here.

At $156,900 plus on-road costs for the M3 sedan and $166,900 plus ORCs for the M4 coupe, the pairing is more expensive than the M3s they replace. BMW says the premium is “more than offset” by extra equipment.

Whether that is the case or not is a moot point. Even at their new pricetags the all-new M cars are worth every penny.