Girl of the Week: October 21st-27th 2019 – Lisa Yasmin & BMW M4

The BMW M4 is one of the most desirable sports cars for sale in the UK today. It comes as a two-door coupe or the open-topped M4 Convertible, and with a lineage that can trace its roots to the cult classic BMW M3, it’s certainly a car with a strong reputation to uphold. When the M4 arrived in 2014, it promised much, but didn’t quite deliver. However, subsequent revisions, including the creation of the limited-run M4 GTS and the sharper M4 CS, have seen the M4 finally deliver the performance and handling that it originally promised.
The BMW M4 is effectively an M3 Coupe by another name. It’s a fast, engaging and hugely desirable sports car, and it even offers a dose of practicality for those who occasionally need to carry luggage or rear-seat passengers.For ma ny purists, the M4’s turbocharged engine can’t match the last car’s naturally aspirated V8 for drama and character. Yet, look past the artificial soundtrack and you’ll discover a truly great set-up. It delivers the sort of pace that will have supercar owners looking nervously in their rear-view mirror, yet is far more efficient than the unit it replaces.
Power comes from a 425-hp twin-turbo inline-six, with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and rear-wheel drive. The Competition package increases power output to 444 ponies but it adds nearly $5000 to the bottom line. Our M4 Competition test car with the seven-speed automatic zipped from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, the same time it took its main rival, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S coupe. The ride is firm but the driver is paid back for the abuse with genuine agility on twisty roads. At the track, the M4 can be dropped into the Sport+ mode where it will devour corners and blast down straightaways with the best of them.
The M4 shares its interior with the decidedly less racy and far less expensive 4-series two-doors and the 3-series four-door sedan. That means good build quality but a relatively uninspired design that looks particularly dour in all black. Luckily, BMW offers three two-tone interior options—Sonoma Beige, Silverstone, and Sakhir Orange—to spice things up a bit. The rear seat is less spacious than the sedan but can still fit two adults in a pinch; the trunk space is generous for a coupe and fits four carry-on suitcases. The M4’s sport seats are supportive and comfortable, and the driving position is perfect for spirited motoring. All M4 models come with BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, a Harman/Kardon audio system, and several driver-assistance features including automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection; automatic high-beam headlamps, a head-up display, a 360-degree exterior camera system, and a self-parking feature are also available as part of the optional Executive package.
The standard car gets glossy, carbon-fibre detailing inside, with a widescreen 8.8-inch display for the iDrive system. There’s a head-up display on offer, too, with two configurable ‘M’ driving modes, while the seats give excellent support for faster driving thanks to inflatable side bolsters. Our only real criticism is that with some parts carried over from cheaper BMW saloons, the M4 doesn’t feel quite as special as some cars in this class. That said, the Competition Pack versions are given a lift courtesy of even more heavily bolstered front seats and seat belts that get the M Sports stripe woven into the webbing.
The rest of the cabin is pure 4 Series, which does means a thoughtfully laid-out dash, high-grade materials and excellent build quality. Plus, the low-slung driving position is perfect. The standard equipment count extends to sat-nav, a DAB radio, climate control and heated seats.
As with other 4 Series Convertible variants, the drop-top M4 gets a three piece folding metal hardtop. Yet while the set-up delivers coupe-like refinement and security when raised, it’s slow to operate, adds weight and eats into boot space.