[timp7748]

Had the privilege of driving a BMW M4 today. I know I'm not the only lucky one around to have had this opportunity but I was so overwhelmed that I thought I would share my thoughts.

The car in discussion today was a beautiful black M4 with red leather. DCT gearbox and a host of other desirable features. The driving began by taking the car through a built up area; roundabouts, traffic lights and other usual annoyances. The car drove smoothly and effortlessly; much like my 330d. The ride was comfortable, the seats were fantastic and the cabin was such a fantastic place to be.

At the traffic lights, you really get a sense that you are driving something special; like everybody's eyes are glued in your direction. This thing looks menacing, especially in black.

I approach the slip road onto the dual carriageway, press the M1 button which has been programmed with everything in it's sportiest settings and stamp on the accelerator. The sound goes from quiet to full bore insanity reminiscent of the good old E46 M3. It was truly phenomenal and definitely sent shivers down the neck. The keys that were sat in the tray under the air con controls flew back under my seat and into the rear foot well. The acceleration was brutal and the car was planted. The whole sensation of opening this thing up was on a different level to anything I have ever driven before.

Unfortunately my fun came to an end with 50mph road works. With a dab on the gear knob, I put the car into auto and set cruise control to 50mph. It was like taking a seriously pissed off tiger and turning into a tiny kitten. Cruising along in glorious comfort whilst still feeling very special.

And that is where my brief drive in the M4 ends. A really fantastic and special machine. Just need to find £62,000 for the sexy white one they have in the showroom now.

[Reece]

I cant bring myself to drive anything quick again.
About 3 months ago a bloke at work bouht a 61 plate c63 with performance pack and let me drive it, worst mistake ive ever made as i have this burning desire to trade my car in every weekend and use the 20k house deposit money to buy one, it just wont go away.

Have to say though i actually think the m3 looks meaner than the m4.
They had the all black in my local showroom the other week its so sexy

[timp7748]

I know the feeling. I'm lucky though as my remapped 330d is a fantastic all rounder. Had a play with a C63 in it last week actually and it was more than happy alongside such company. But instead of sub 20 mpg, I average 43mpg.

I do agree with the M3 comment, they had a Mineral White M3 saloon and the rear arches are mental. So aggressive. But the M4 is a sleek beauty.

[Reece]

Originally Posted by timp7748

I know the feeling. I'm lucky though as my remapped 330d is a fantastic all rounder. Had a play with a C63 in it last week actually and it was more than happy alongside such company. But instead of sub 20 mpg, I average 43mpg.

I do agree with the M3 comment, they had a Mineral White M3 saloon and the rear arches are mental. So aggressive. But the M4 is a sleek beauty.

Yes there quite heavy the c63 but just the noise and pressence it holds on the road the same as an m car, makes you feel special when your in the drivers seat knowing that most are looking thinking i wish i could own one of them

[whateva411]

Tim you managed to drive it then?
I nearly destroyed the one I drove. It hides its speed well!

[timp7748]

Oh the sound... eventually when the mrs told me to stop pissing about and I pulled in it flew past. What a noise!

Originally Posted by whateva411

Tim you managed to drive it then?
I nearly destroyed the one I drove. It hides its speed well!

Yeh mate, I fully agree about hiding it's speed. It's certainly a refined M car when it comes to ride comfort and power delivery.

[gaza01]

The M4 is definitely my next car!

[The_Bear_Yid]

Do these not need running in like I thought the E92 M3s did/do?

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by timp7748

I know the feeling. I'm lucky though as my remapped 330d is a fantastic all rounder. Had a play with a C63 in it last week actually and it was more than happy alongside such company. But instead of sub 20 mpg, I average 43mpg.

I do agree with the M3 comment, they had a Mineral White M3 saloon and the rear arches are mental. So aggressive. But the M4 is a sleek beauty.

A mapped 330d isn't remotely close to a C63. That's not even a discussion to have.

If you were comfortably in the league of a C63, he either wasn't tying or it wasn't a C63

[timp7748]

Originally Posted by Kerr

A mapped 330d isn't remotely close to a C63. That's not even a discussion to have.

If you were comfortably in the league of a C63, he either wasn't tying or it wasn't a C63

Well i can assure you he had his foot down and it certainly was a C63 due to the noise it was making. Now I didnt say I beat it, or left it for dead or whatever, I simply said it kept its own.

[SteveC]

Here's my impression from the F20 Forum vs. my current M135i

I'm still struggling to make up my mind between getting an M3 now or waiting for the M2 next year or early 2016.


I had the pleasure of 30 minutes in a well warmed up M4 yesterday....quite a car. Here are my first impressions

Firstly both cars look great but I actually prefer the M3.....especially in the mineral white ....its halfway between frozen and normal paint and looks brilliant.

Inside the M4 is really classy, reflecting the price and status of an M car....seats are super comfortable and offer great support......steering wheel lovely, ergonomics extremely well sorted.

Start the car and every petrolhead turns and grins. What a beautiful, high performance, raspy tone. Inside the exhaust note is much more subdued, until you give it some beans. Loud pedal is exactly what it is. At higher revs the cabin fills with high performance internal combustion noises, literally only a few dB under requiring earplugs. Forget what the journalists say....exhaust and engine noise is most definitely an event in this car.

Handling is probably the high point of this car. Body remains flat and planted in bends, and the suspension demonstrates that it is possible to be firm without being harsh. I would call the suspension sophisticated in that its very smooth and comfortable yet at the same time firm and utterly confidence inspiring. The exact opposite of the choppy, skittish ride some past 'M-Sport' spec. (not M car) were known for. I wasn't able to really evaluate much in half an hour but the ride really left a positive impression. Different league.
There's a substantial difference between comfort and sport....steering, suspension and especially throttle mapping all took a significant jump when the relevant buttons were depressed.

Performance in sport mode was very good, although I wouldn't call it shattering. Like other M cars, this car is set up to produce the most excitement with a few revs. From 1500 to 3000 my M135i feels substantially faster, after which the M car takes over. The M car felt fast but not wild. By contrast, jumping back into my M135i, it felt ....ummm....fast, indeed at normal driving speeds, in comfort or sport, the M135i didn't seem to lack a great deal, errr anything, performance wise. At low revs it is definitely punchier and at high revs gets on with the job without some of the M car's histrionics (exhaust noise) (of course I normally drive solo and with the M4 I had an extra 80kg of salesman with me). The biggest difference I could detect is in the handling. By comparison, the M car feels like a very luxurious DTM car. Again I didn't get much chance to explore the handling but it does feel way better than the M135i. which is no slouch. After the M4, the handling on the M135i felt a little unrefined, less planted, more body roll, less secure, less confidence inspiring. I did feel that steering was giving more feedback in the M4 but 30 minutes wasn't really enough to comment.

So in summary, what do you get with an M3 or M4 vs. an M135i?

Mainly its about improved cabin, looks, handling and status. I was worried that my test drive would make the M135i feel diminished and puny by comparison but in fact it simply increased my respect for the hot 1 Series, which is neither a huge compromise nor lacking a great deal in the performance stakes. On a track, the M4 is going to be quite a lot faster by virtue of its handling and >50% throttle response. On normal roads, at sensible speeds and <50% throttle the M135i acquits itself surprisingly well.

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by timp7748

Well i can assure you he had his foot down and it certainly was a C63 due to the noise it was making. Now I didnt say I beat it, or left it for dead or whatever, I simply said it kept its own.

It has got 50% more power than you.

The C63 does 0-100mph in under 10 secs and is faster on the move.

It's a bit faster than a E9x M3.

On a standing quarter it is posting 115mph terminal speeds. Mapped 335ds(faster than a 330d) manage around 106mph and a 9mph gap is big.

Honestly a mapped 330d won't give a C63 much to worry about.

A mapped 330d is a fast car. A C63 is a very fast car.

[Estoril Sport]

I went to my local dealership just with the intention to have a look at the new M3/M4 however finished having a test drive!

I was surprise that the M4 suspension is very similar to the B3 in the softness in ride when the M4 is in 'Comfort' mode, however in 'Sport' mode you can really feel the texture of the road surface. The noise of the M4 is much more noticeable and quite additive. I was pleasantly surprised that the torque was just as good as my current B3 in fact it felt a bit better.

What I have been told that the M4 will give me the same mile per gallon a my current B3.

I also I find slightly annoying in the M4 that there is no seatbelt hand over, which I have got accustomed to this in the B3 I really like this feature, I questioned the reason why it is not available and the reply was to save weight, it’s not even an option to add to the car.

I was slightly disappointed with the HUB display however the main reason why I could hardly see it was due to the fact that I was wearing polarising sunglasses!!!! I have be informed that there is an option to rotate polarising effect on the HUB to compensate for this issue.

After the test drive I am now swaying towards the M4 compared to the B4 mainly on cost. If you spec up the two cars with similar spec the B4 is over nearly 5K more and that is without discount on the M4 !!!

Not test driven the Alpina B4 yet what I will say it will have to be dam good to sway me over. What I do like about the M3/M3 its a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde car. You can put the car in 'Comfort' mode for a relaxed long drive with the wife, and then put the car in M mode when you are on your own!

The Alpina does not off that ability.

[zltm089]

some very good reviews here!...missing pics tho!!!

[timp7748]

Im back at the dealership tomorrow to pick my car up from service. Will take some pics tomorrow.

[AWSAWS]

I think I'd rather spend the money an M4 would cost on modifying my 335i but I know others would rather get the M4. I do like the M4 though. No question it looks great and I'm sure it drives very well.

[Rudz]

Guys check out Chris Harris's review of the M3, the monkey absolutely loves it

[whateva411]

Originally Posted by Rudz

Guys check out Chris Harris's review of the M3, the monkey absolutely loves it

I hope its better than the autocar video where they compared the m3 to the alpina!

[Estoril Sport]

Originally Posted by whateva411

I hope its better than the autocar video where they compared the m3 to the alpina!

That video was a waste of time, who would consider buying a M3 would also short list the Alpina D3 (diesel). If it was an Alpina is should have been the B3 (petrol) now that would be interesting!

[Rudz]

Drive+ is now paid, so can't watch it on youtube (worth subscribing tho)

but here it is guys, Chris Harris's review of the new M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1020475

[timp7748]