Each week our team of experienced senior road testers pick out a new model from the world of innovative, premium and performance badges, and put it through its paces.
MAY 23rd 2016
The Goodwood Test: BMW M4 Competition Pack – Ultimate M‑Car?
Heritage
Still not used to referring to the car that is, to all intents and purposes, the continuation of the M3 lineage by a new name? Nor us. From stripped-back four-cylinder homologation car to super high-tech luxury sports coupe things have moved on so far since the original E30 M3. Now in its fifth generation, the definitive M car is now a very different beast – indeed a new name is the least of it. For an extra £3,000 the M4 Competition Package adds 19bhp to bring the twin-turbo six up to 450bhp, puts more rubber on the road via new wheels and tightens up the chassis still further.
Design
There's no mistaking the M for its more commonplace 4 Series brothers, even those gilded with all the M Sport extras. From its bonnet hump to its carbon roof, ducktail bootlid and quad exhaust pipes the M4 bristles with aggression and purpose. The signature 20-inch wheels that set the Competition Package apart from regular M4s are 10mm wider than standard and instantly mark it out as something special. You'll be living in fear of kerbs though… Inside the changes are less dramatic, the cabin sober and functional and enlivened with distinctive new seats with large cut-outs in the backrests.
Performance
The new M3 and M4 has struggled critically with the transition from screaming naturally aspirated V8 and into the turbo age. Buyers love it though, this the best selling of its type for generations. The explosive power delivery is certainly addictive, likewise the very un-turbo like ability to rev out to the 7,600rpm redline. In the wrong weather and on a bumpy road the chassis has sometimes struggled to keep pace though, the Competition Package accepting a small trade-off in comfort and refinement is worth it for improved body control and stability. A manual option in this day and age is commendable but, as tested, the car feels more complete with the optional seven-speed dual-clutch auto.
Passion
The M4 is something of a wild child, its pin-sharp front axle and rampant rear-wheel-drive balance meaning it can be a proper handful at times. More power might seem the last thing it needs but the new spring rates and recalibrated multi-mode dampers, steering and stability control combine to make it somehow more exploitable and less edgy than the standard car. It remains a complex machine and one that makes significant demands of its driver. But in an age of dumbed down performance cars it's refreshing to drive something that makes you think twice before giving it everything. As a result the rewards are richer, the Competition Package adding both potency and polish to an already compelling product.
Price tag of our car – £62,550 (with M DCT dual-clutch gearbox) (£59,550 for standard M4 M DCT, plus £3,000 for Competition Package)
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