BMW M3 and M4 - the alter ego of the king

The history of the BMW M3 dates back to 1985, when the first sports version of the popular troika saw the light of day. Until then, there were legends and many stereotypes about this model. Recently, a completely new model began to write its history - the BMW M4, the successor to the BMW M3 Coupe. Have changes in naming led to changes in the concept of the car, and what remains of the protoplast in the latest models? To find out, I went to Portugal for the official presentation of the BMW M3 and M4.

But let's start from the very beginning and go back to the past, to December last year, when both models officially saw the light of day. By the way, it is worth enlightening those who do not follow the changes in the BMW offer. Well, once upon a time, the engineers from M GmbH must have messed up the face when it turned out that they needed to put two models on the market at once. This was done by changing the nomenclature, i.e. highlighting the M3 coupe as the M4 model. Now the M3 is available exclusively as a "family" limousine, and for more self-absorbed buyers there is a two-door M4. The change may be cosmetic, but it opens up new possibilities for the Bavarian manufacturer. The 3 series is now a little more practical, although there was a place for the M3 model, i.e. car for crazy daddy. Both options are based on the same philosophy, have the same drive, but differ slightly visually (which is obviously a coupe and a sedan) and are aimed at completely different groups of recipients. The M4 is several tens of kilograms lighter, and it has a ground clearance of 1 millimeter more, but honestly, what's the difference? Performance matters and both machines are the same.

In sum, BMW M3 is the ideal solution for those who, in addition to sports and emotions, are looking for a practical car with classic sedan lines. However, if someone prefers a beautiful coupe line, does not need more space in the back seat and is not going to go on vacation with the whole family, BMW M4.

Of course, as befits a top-of-the-line M, both models reveal at first glance that they are no ordinary cars. In both cases, we have muscular front bumpers with large air intakes, optically lowered side skirts on the sides of the car, and rear bumpers with a small diffuser and four tailpipes. There were no spoilers, but for the cleanliness of the sideline it was good. Looking at both cars front and rear, it's hard to tell them apart, only the side profile explains everything. The M3 has a nice traditional sedan body, although the window line has been slightly lengthened, making the tailgate appear very short and compact. A similar procedure was used on the M4, further emphasizing the dynamic style. Features include an air intake just behind the front wheel arches - a kind of gills - and a hump on the front hood. The icing on the cake is the antenna on the roof, the so-called "Shark Fin".

The interior is the quintessential sporty version of the BMW M Series. Upon first contact, the eyes (and not only…) are expressively defined, deep and very comfortable, although their main purpose is to keep the driver in control when cornering. . Do they complete this task? I'll write about it in a minute. It is also worth paying attention to the integrated headrests, which have as many opponents as supporters. It certainly looks interesting, but is it convenient? I won't mention the leather patches, M badges, nifty stitching or carbon fiber accents - that's standard.

So, let's get to the heart of both models - the engine. Here, some people will certainly experience a shock, because for the first time, the "eMki" is driven by a non-naturally aspirated engine. The previous fourth generation (E90/92/93) had already taken a bold step - instead of the highly regarded straight-six (the third generation had 3,2 R6 343KM), a 4L V8 with 420KM was used. If someone shook their head for such a change in 2007, what would they say now? And now, under the hood, the in-line six is ​​again, but this time, and for the first time in the history of M, it is turbocharged! Let's get down to business - under the hood we have a 3-liter twin-supercharged inline engine with 431 hp, achieved in the range of 5500-7300 rpm. Torque reaches 550 Nm and is available from 1850 to 5500 rpm. Interestingly, the performance of both cars is almost the same. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in the BMW M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe with M DCT takes 4,1 seconds, while with the manual transmission this time increases to 4,3 seconds. The top speed of both cars was limited to 250 km/h, but with the purchase of the M Driver Package, the speed is increased to 280 km/h. According to the manufacturer, both models will consume an average of 8,8 l/100 km with a manual transmission or 8,3 l/100 km with an M DCT transmission. That's right... With a 60-liter tank you won't get far. But we will not be bored ... Oh no!

True, we will not complain about boredom, but on the other hand, the transition from V8 to R6 does not ennoble, with all due respect to the brilliant R6. It could be made like the Mercedes in the C 63 AMG: it had a 8-litre V6,2, but the new version shrunk to 4-litres, but remained in the V8 layout. True, this one is also naturally aspirated, but the turbo + V8 will give more power. By the way, the V8 from the M5 apparently did not fit. Regardless of the competition, or apart from the flagrant violation of the principle that the M should be naturally aspirated, we can find some shortcomings here. Oh yes, the sound. One might be tempted to say that the sound of the engine sounds more like a diesel engine or a V10 unit from the previous generation M5 than the naturally aspirated R6s known years ago. Sounds intimidating, but just by the sound, I wouldn't tell the M3 is coming.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch wheels with a width of 255 mm at the front and 275 mm at the rear. 19" alternatives are available as an option. An excellent braking system based on carbon-ceramic discs is responsible for stopping. Of course, many were intrigued by the mysterious feature called "Smokey Burnout" available on models with Drivelogic's seven-speed DCT dual-clutch transmission. What it is? It's simple - a toy for big boys! True, most people will think that this is a gadget for beginners and does not fit the BMW M3 or M4, but no one is forcing anyone to use it. In addition to the revolution under the hood, the design of both cars has also changed. According to BMW, both models are lighter than their predecessors (in the case of the BMW M4, this is the BMW M3 Coupe) by about 80 kilograms. For example, model BMW M4 weighs 1497 kg. Buyers can choose between the standard 6-speed manual transmission and the aforementioned 7-speed M DCT Drivelogic transmission, which has the last two gears perfect for leisurely highway travel. Finally, it is worth mentioning the variable driving modes, which really affect the behavior of the car on the road and on the track. The first one does not give any special impressions, it is rather for a smooth ride, the third is rough, leaves no illusions that the main thing is performance, not comfort - the second is optimal in my opinion. Of course, you can adjust the response to the gas, suspension and steering. Figuratively speaking - something pleasant for everyone.

Let's face it, I went to Portugal not to talk about the M3 and M4, but to drive them on beautiful and scenic roads. And on these roads, the phenomenal, optional for the first time, ceramic brakes showed their power, which takes some getting used to (the first few brakes can be intimidating), but once we feel the modulation, driving is a real pleasure. The car drives very confidently, neutrally, gives a feeling of control over the car. The sound and unique response of the V8 is a little lacking, but these are only memories ... It takes some getting used to. The most important thing is to answer the question, is the car a lot of driving pleasure? BMW promises driving pleasure in every one of its vehicles. The M3 and M4 are great driving pleasure. And is it larger than the previous generation? It is hard to say. In this car, I feel like I'm in a new generation rocket, surrounded by the latest technology, wrapped in cables, I can almost feel the tact of all the microprocessors that make sure that there is as much joy as possible. While I would have enjoyed the ride more if I could just as well ride alone with steel and aluminum rather than copper and silicon, this is the price we all pay for technological advancement. Technology is everywhere - we have to embrace it.

Despite the fact that BMW M3 i M4 this is a complete novelty on the market, but in the eyes of my imagination I see special versions of these models. The previous generation had several interesting special versions: CRT (Carbon Racing Technology, 450 hp) - a total of 67 cars, there was also a GTS version with a 8 liter V4,4 engine under the hood (450 hp) - a total of 135 were produced machines. Let's see what special editions BMW has in store for us in the latest version, because although we already have a very exciting car here, the 450-kilometer crossbar installed by the previous generation will probably seduce not only engineers from Bavaria.

See more in films

It is difficult to objectively evaluate the BMW M3 and M4, because these cars were created mainly for entertainment and in this task they do sensationally. The beautiful sound of the inline-six, excellent performance, handling, and when the driver needs peace, both cars are comfortable and give a feeling of security and peace. It's also hard to compare both Ms to rivals like the Mercedes C 63 AMG, Audi RS4 or RS5, because all cars are extremely perfect, and their advantages completely overshadow the disadvantages (if any). Someone loves an Audi, this one will love the RS5. Anyone who has always been interested in Mercedes will be pleased with the C 63 AMG. If you like the Bavarian approach to driving, you will surely fall in love with it after driving an M3 or M4. These are the top models in this segment - they should please the driver. And that's what they do!