Fast and ferocious BMW M3 and M4 wow us on street and track
ConsumerReports.org By Gabe Shenhar
http://ift.tt/1A8tiyyOver the last few days we’ve been driving the new 2015 BMW M3 and M4, the high-performance sedan and two-door coupe versions of the laudable 3 Series line. You can think of BMW’s M cars as niche products aimed at a select few—serious, well-heeled sports-car enthusiasts who appreciate a fine-tuned performance car and can truly experience its thrills.
The new M3 and M4 are ferociously fast, track-ready machines that are more than ready to take part in competition-driving events. But guess what? They’re also a bit more livable as daily drivers than just about any previous Ms have ever been.
But they aren’t cheap. The 2015 M3 starts at $62,000 and the M4 begins at $64,200. The examples we drove had stickers of $84,300 and $86,200, respectively. The high tariff was partly due to the optional ceramic brakes. At $8,000-plus, they might stop your heart before they slow the car.
A new 425-hp, 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six powertrain replaces the old 4.0-liter V8. We really don’t think the six-cylinder engine is a demotion. While it’s rated at a mere 10 hp more than the V8, it has significantly more torque that is available lower in the rev range. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual, but about 90 percent of these Ms will come, as ours did, with a seven-speed automated manual.
Power delivery is abundant, and in most situations this six-cylinder feels and sounds more like a V8 than the actual eight-cylinder engine did. Whether the roar is natural or synthetic (hard to tell these days, with active noise canceling or noise enhancement piped in), the M’s voice is loud and unapologetic.
Driving impressions: This new M can easily keep up with a purebred sports cars, such as the Chevrolet Corvette or a Porsche 911, and it is more livable.
