BMW M4 GTS sold out in Oz

BMW has officially announced pricing and specification for its M4 GTS in Australia, but those details are academic in the aftermath of the buyer stampede for the race-focused road-going coupe.

Priced at $295,000, each of the 25 cars allocated for the Aussie market has been matched to a local buyer seduced by the car's twin-turbo six-cylinder engine. According to BMW, the engine produces 368kW and 600Nm, for a 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds and a potential top speed of 305km/h. In Germany the M4 GTS has lapped the Nurburgring in a very respectable time of 7 minutes, 28 seconds.

BMW has been able to turn up the wick by fitting the GTS with water injection to cool combustion chamber temperatures by 25 degrees. A five-litre tank supplies the water, which is sprayed into the air inlet. The cooler combustion chambers allow the use of more advanced ignition timing and higher boost pressure for the turbos, up from 2.2 to 2.5 bar. Exhaust is discharged through four titanium tips.

In addition to the raised output from the 3.0-litre engine, which is coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the M4 GTS has undergone a weight reduction programme. BMW claims the GTS is 30kg lighter than the donor car. The slimmed-down GTS is clothed in carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) panels, including bonnet, roof, rear diffuser, front splitter and rear wing – the lightweight material knocking 25 per cent off the weight of the same panels constructed in aluminium.

Additionally, the M4 GTS moves to lighter M Carbon Ceramic brakes and Recaro carbon race bucket seats. These are said to be 50 per cent lighter than the standard car's seats. BMW has also removed the rear seat for further weight loss, and conventional door pulls are replaced by straps inside the car. Alcantara trim is applied to a lightweight centre console that weighs 30 per cent less than the standard console.

Three-way adjustable suspension can be tuned by the owners to suit different driving requirements, and the front splitter can be set up for race or road work – providing either improved high-speed aerodynamics and cooling or pedestrian protection. The carbon ceramic brakes feature six pistons at the front and four pistons at the rear. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 measure 265/35/ZR19 at the front and 285/30/ZR20 at the rear, and have been specifically developed for the M4 GTS.

If all of that isn't enough to distinguish the GTS from the standard M4, the GTS also comes with organic LED tail lights.

BMW Australia is also offering a race package for the M4 GTS at no extra cost. This pack combines a steel half roll cage, six-point racing harnesses seat belts and a fire extinguisher system.

“The BMW M4 GTS is a sports car radically designed for superior dynamics and breath-taking performance on the race track,” said Frank van Meel, BMW's CEO.

“This is our way of demonstrating what is possible with a road-legal vehicle today.”

Local deliveries of the M4 GTS are due to commence in September.