M3 & M4: 503bhp. 4-wheel drive. That face.

BMW’S new M3 and M4 are here, with up to 503bhp, and four-wheel drive now an option. And then there’s that front end. You have been warned…

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS, SIX GENERATIONS, AN unrivalled motorsport pedigree and an expectation to be the best sports saloon in the market. No one said it was ever going to be easy for the new G80-series M3 and its M4 coupe brother, and as if to confirm that BMW M is pulling out all the stops, there is a great deal to take in with its latest pair. It starts with the usual fare that includes two trim levels for each car (standard and Competition) and two gearboxes (a manual and an auto, more on both later), and these choices are now joined by two different drivetrains too (two- and four-wheel drive). But it’s the looks that will inevitably generate the comments – and no doubt protests from some who will say they’ll never buy an M3 again.

The styling of the new cars doesn’t display the homologation attention to detail of the original E30 M3, nor the taught, tightly surfaced approach of the E46, but there’s still plenty to occupy your eye – not least a front grille that will keep the meme generators busier than Lewis Hamilton’s trophy cabinet maker. Combined with a front number plate position that does as much to draw your attention to the vast openings as it does to try to distract you from them, and joined by large outlets in the bonnet’s leading edge above, in a bold colour it’s a standout feature. Perhaps a more subtle hue will tone down the impact, but either way, it’s going to be a conversation starter.

For the rest of the design it’s pure 2020 BMW M, which means more defined openings and exaggerated surfaces for the front, more pronounced sculpting along the flanks, and wider rear arches for the M3 compared to those of a conventional 3-series. There’s also a carbonfibre roof as standard for both body styles, rear diffusers, and smaller-diameter wheels for the front axles (18- or 19-inch) compared to the rear (19- or 20-inch).

Both new M-cars feature the same 3-litre, twin-turbo straightsix. It’s the S58 engine taken from the X3/4 M, but with a lighter, redesigned sump that allows the engine to manage higher loads on track more effectively, a lighter forged crank to improve the motor’s responsiveness, and new 3D-printed cylinder heads that are also lighter and improve cooling thanks to the more intricate geometric forms this manufacturing process allows over traditional casting. Some 30bhp separates the regular and Competition-spec motors, with the top model producing 503bhp.

Despite four-wheel drive making its way down the M range, some good news for many will be that the M3/4 will continue to be offered with rear-wheel drive. However, from summer 2021

the Competition variants will gain the option of four-wheel drive – a first for an M3/4, allowing it to go splitter-to-splitter with Audi’s RS4 and RS5. As on the M5 and M8, M xdrive will send drive to the rear axle until the front gets into trouble and calls for help. And if you switch the DSC stability and traction control off, you can turn your four-wheel-drive M3/4 Competition into a rear-drive M3/4. Torque distribution times between front and rear axles have been improved upon compared to those of the M5 and M8, and there are also bespoke prop and outer shafts and the latest-generation active M differential in the rear axle.

Now for the bad news: UK customers will no longer be able to buy an M3/4 with three pedals. Only the Competition variant will be sold in the UK, and this will only be available with an eight-speed M Steptronic automatic gearbox, regardless of how many axles you choose to have driven. The former decision has been made because the majority of M3/4 sales in the UK are for Competition models, and the latter because the six-speed manual ’box is at its limit when installed in the lower-powered M3, and the cost and additional weight that would be incurred to beef it up to cope with the Competition’s outputs are impossible to justify. There is also the small matter that, in the UK at least, just one per cent of customers for the outgoing F80 M3 and M4 ordered a manual gearbox.

You will have also noticed that for the paddleshift cars BMW M has switched from a double-clutch gearbox to a conventional torque converter. Carsten Wolf, head of vehicle characteristics for BMW M, explained the decision thus: ‘It was the right time to change the technology because in 2020 a torque converter is capable of much more than previous [transmissions of this type]. [There is] literally no disadvantage in terms of shift speeds and performance, but [it] offers more advantages in everyday driving, like improved shift comfort. This is all part of widening the appeal of the M3 and M4 range.’

Working alongside the new powertrains is a chassis that’s been tuned to perform better on track than its predecessor, although not at the expense of on-road comfort and compliance. With this sixth-generation M3 being more of an evolution of the F80 than an all-new car, Wolf and his team could focus on honing what was already there: ‘Last time around the package was very different between generations, so we essentially had to start development from scratch. [This time] we know the characteristics of this powertrain and its high-torque nature, and how we want the car to be improved compared to the previous model. ’

To this end, aluminium is used for the strut bracing, front wishbones and front axle subframes, and there is model-specific underfloor bracing front and rear that takes advantage of the stiffer body and chassis mountings and further increases torsional rigidity.