BMW M3 and M4 Competition 2021 Review

The new high-performance 2021 BMW M3 Competition sedan (G80) and BMW M4 Competition coupe (G82) range has arrived in Australia in four model variations, with more to come.

All four versions that have landed are powered by a new 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol twin-turbo engine driving the rear wheels.

An all-wheel drive version is due to arrive later in 2021. Convertibles are also expected here at some stage, and a wagon too.

The standard M3 and M4 engine outputs 353kW/550Nm and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The M3 and M4 Competition bump those outputs to 375kW/650Nm and the sole transmission choice is an eight-speed torque-converter automatic.

Pricing starts at $144,900 plus on-road costs for the M3 and $149,900 plus ORCs for the M4. Add $10,000 each for the Competition models.

For those extra dollars the 0-100km/h claim is chopped from 4.2 to 3.9 seconds, while the fuel consumption claim is 10.8L/100km for the M3 and M4 and 10.2L/100km for the Competition models. That’s based on the NEDC standard with 98 RON as the recommended fuel.

So how do all those various numbers compare with the old M3 and M4?

Back last decade when BMW still sold the old F80 M3 in Australia, the Pure was officially priced at $129,529 plus ORCs and the Competition at $146,529 – add $10,000 for the F82 M4 version of either.

The old Competition offered 331kW/550Nm. The farewell M3 CS edition then raised that a bit more to 338kW/600Nm and charged $179,900 – and yep, add $10,000 for the M4.

You could another $100,000 – yes, $100,000 – for the ultra-limited 2017 BMW M4 GTS, but it had no more power or torque than the CS.

While we’re on pricing it’s worth noting the M3 and M4 still sit below the equivalent Mercedes-AMG C-class models and pretty close to the various Audi RS5 models and the RS4 Avant.

So the new BMW M3 and M4 Competition undoubtedly do the business at the brochure. Which is no surprise. The German hot tuners love nothing more than a big number to boast about.

Now, let’s talk equipment levels for the new M3 and M4.

Outside, both cars share staggered 19/20-inch forged alloy wheels, a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic roof, adaptive suspension, a power tailgate, and Laserlight headlights.

Inside, there’s a 12.3 digital instrument panel and 10.25-inch touch-screen run by BMW’s Operating System 7, Merino leather trim, M sports seats with power adjustment including lumbar and heating, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Harman Kardon audio, wireless smartphone charging and metallic paint.

As well as swapping to the auto and bumping engine outputs, the Competition adds an iPhone-based digital key, more Merino leather, carbon gearshift paddles and some safety stuff we’ll deal with below.

The steering wheel adjusts manually – which seems a bit pedestrian – and no M3 or M4 gets a spare tyre. Instead there’s tyre pressure monitoring and a tyre repair kit.

The BMW M3 and M4 are protected by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Roadside assistance is complimentary for three years.

Servicing is conditions-based and can be paid for in advance over five years/80,000km. A basic package will set you back $3810 and the Plus package $10,520.

The new 2021 BMW M3 and M4 Competition come with a significant amount of electronic driver assist systems (DAS).

In addition to the expected stability and traction control (with 10-stage adjustment) and anti-lock braking, all models get autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, lane change warning, rear cross traffic warning and rear collision prevention.

There’s also cruise control with a braking function, parking assistance, a group of camera views to alert the driver to surroundings, and a head-up display.

The Competition models upgrade to an adaptive cruise control with front radar that goes as well as stops, adds front cross traffic warning, steering and lane control assist, lane keep assist with side collision warning, crossroads warning and evasion aid.

All M3 and M4 variants also come with a BMW Advanced Driving Experience Centre course.

Like the G20 BMW 3 Series and G22 BMW 4 Series they are based on, the latest 2021 BMW M3 and M4 Competition are fundamentally new vehicles.

They roll on the CLAR architecture that underpins most rear-/all-wheel drive BMWs, with bracing and chassis stiffening added to increase torsional and longitudinal rigidity.

The bodies are familiar to anyone who knows the donor cars, although the M3 has adopted the big-mouth kidney grille of the 4 Series and is the only 3 Series sedan to do so. It’s an, erm, interesting look.

In terms of size, both M3 and M4 are bigger and heavier than their predecessors. And we aren’t just talking a mill or two and a kilo here or there. Both cars are 123mm longer, while the M3 Competition is 170kg heavier at 1730kg and the M4 is 185kg heavier at 1725kg.

Compared to each other, the M4 has the lower roofline – 1393mm versus 1433mm, which in theory at least delivers a centre of gravity – and therefore handling – advantage.

At the heart of the M3 and M4 is the new S58 aluminium I6 engine, which actually made its global debut in the 2019 BMW X3 M and X4 M.

Interesting tech features include sleeve-free closed deck construction that delivers extra crankcase rigidity and a cylinder head core that is 3D-printed to reduce weight and allow geometric forms beyond conventional metal casting.

There are two mono-scroll turbochargers, indirect air charge cooling, direct fuel injection with up to 350 bar pressure (previously 200 bar) and variable timing of the 24 valves and two camshafts.

The sump has two chambers to ensure oil supply under extreme conditions such as track use. The cooling system in the Competition models is augmented by an additional engine oil cooler and a separate transmission cooler.

The exhaust has electronically controlled flaps to boost outputs and there are 2x2 100mm outlets. Just to make a statement.

As per BMW M dictate, these are high-revving engines. Peak power arrives at 6250rpm in the Competition model and the redline arrives at 7200rpm. Yet max torque is delivered flatly from 2750rpm to 5500rpm.

The technical package is completed by a limited-slip ‘active’ diff, adaptive suspension (MacPherson strut front and five-link rear), electromechanical rack and pinion steering with M-specific tuning and 380mm front discs combined with six-piston callipers. There are 370mm discs at the rear with a single sliding piston calliper. Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional for an eye-watering $16,500.

Being M cars, there’s a high degree of tunability of driving functions: engine, transmission, steering, brakes and traction support can all be tweaked.

Your favourite settings can be stored behind M1 and M2 paddles on the steering wheel. For instance, M1 can be a relaxed highway cruising set-up, while M2 can be all-out attack for the track.

Speaking of which, BMW has a whole heap of telemetry it can show drivers when indulging in some performance driving. On top of the expected lap timer, there’s now also a drift analyser that rates your efforts out of five stars.

It’s all part of a new package called M Drive Professional.

Phillip Island was the venue for our first taste of the new-generation 2021 BMW M3 and M4, and then only in the high-specification Competition version.

Oh dear, too bad, never mind.

With its new Advanced Driving crew on hand led by Supercars race winner and Bathurst podium finisher Cam McConville, BMW Australia wanted us to get a feel for the sky-high performance capability of these cars.

These sorts of days can be risky, of course. If a car isn’t up to it, being hammered, the track soon exposes underdone brakes, shocks, tyres and even steering.

But there were no such issues with the M3 and M4 Competition. They pounded around all day at varying rates of high speed.

In fact, the only drama came when yours truly managed to hash a high-speed corner and spin off. Sadly, the right-rear corner of the M3 did make light contact with the fence, but no serious damage was done – except to my ego! My first incident of this type in more than 20 years and a warning that you can never be too careful… no matter how good the car.

Speaking of which, the key message emerging from the day was the broadness of the set-up capability of the new M3 and M4 Competition and their capability.

The recommendation from the BMW instructors was to start off in the milder M1 settings – in this case Sport drivetrain and suspension and Comfort steering and brakes, and get the hang of it all.

Once at home, the instruction was to switch to M2 where everything was dialled up to Sport Plus and the electronic nannies minimised.

And that’s what I did. The initial impression was of a very fast car with a little bit of bodyroll, a bit of movement under hard braking and a willingness to get a bit squirelly when accelerating.

Left to its own devices, it was noticeable just how intuitive and supportive the ZF auto was in making its up- and down-changes. Manual changes were clean as a whistle.

Switch to M2 and it all came completely together – so fast, so precise, so responsive and so very direct. It seemed even more apparent in the M4 with its lower centre of gravity. It sat as flat as a tack and steered as sharp as a knife. It also just felt lower to sit in, maybe because of the roofline.

In this state it was also possible to drive neat and clean with a touch of opposite lock off the slower corners without noticeable intervention. It was there, but subtle and therefore enjoyable.

It was also noticeable that different tyres delivered a slightly different feel. The cars I sampled rolled on Pirelli P Zero or Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber and the latter felt to be a tad more progressive. If you’re doing a lot of trackwork, then R-Spec rubber is available from BMW as an option.

All through these experiences, the engine was a howling force, with torque and pulling power from low revs to redline.

It was tremendously fast too, effortlessly topping 200km/h on the roll down the front straight – even after backing off for a position change in the convoy.

The overall impression was of a great car on a great racetrack doing exactly what it should do.

Supporting the mechanical bits was a driving environment that works with you; great standard seats, typically chubby and grippy BMW steering wheel and the latest-generation dashboard set-up – which is fundamentally familiar from lesser 3s and 4s.

Of course, there’s plenty of leather and carbon-fibre trim just to make you feel sporty.

Perhaps the best interior feature of all is the ability to dim down much of the IP and touch-screen to deliver only the bare essential information for going fast. That’s another part of M Drive Professional.

Australians love their M cars. One in five BMWs sold here wear that badge. The new 2021 BMW M3 and M4 Competition make it easy to understand why.

They are tremendously fast and accurate track weapons, truly capable of astonishing performance.

What we’re now interested to learn is how they translate to the road and how they compare to their obvious rivals – you know who they are.

Stand by, because that’s the next item on our agenda.

How much does the 2021 BMW M3 and BMW M4 Competition cost?
Price: $154,900 (plus ORCs) – M3; $159,900 (plus ORCs) – M4
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 375kW/650Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.2L/100km (NEDC)
CO2: 234g/km (NEDC)
Safety rating: Not tested