zibby43

I had the opportunity to thoroughly test a new F82 M4 this afternoon. I was able to drive the car on both back roads and the highway. Traffic was minimal so I had plenty of room to have fun (within the bounds of the law, of course).

In short, I was floored (in a good way).

For the test drive, the steering was in "Sport" and the transmission was set to the most aggressive automatic setting. I also dabbled around with the "Manual" mode as well.

Torque: This car is a torque monster. There are gobs and gobs of torque down low in the rev range. I had no trouble whatsoever lighting up the traction control (which was fairly intrusive, as others have noticed). The car really throws you back into the seat and keeps you there. As a daily driver, it will be a much better car than the E9X (in my humble opinion). There is just flat out more "usable" power/torque across the rev range.

Throttle Response: The throttle response is very sensitive and crisp. There really isn't any lag. The car responds immediately to the driver's input(s). The throttle response felt entirely different (i.e., better/more aggressive) than what I experienced in my previous tuned F30 M Sport 335i.

The throttle does not feel quite as "linear" as the throttle response in the C63 but that is to be expected. This is a fairly "high strung" turbocharged inline 6. Simply put, you know you are in a sports coupe/sedan when your right foot engages the throttle.

Seats: The seats are very comfortable. They are much better than the F30's seats (they're miles better than the E9X's seats, too, IMO) but not nearly as heavily bolstered as the C63 sedan's seats. Depending on your size, this attribute may be a blessing or a curse. The leather is very soft and supple. The Silverstone interior was showing dye transfer. I have concerns about how this leather will wear over time.

Transmission: The DCT transmission is absolutely phenomenal. It's still a bit jerkier around town than the MCT but handily outshines the MCT in M Mode. When you grab a shift, it is there. The upshifts are so smooth that they're almost imperceptible. In short, I was absolutely blown away by this version of the M-DCT.

AMG really needs to dump the MCT and outsource its transmissions like BMW M does.

Sound: First, it is hard to beat the throaty roar of a V8 at 6,000+ rpm.

Second, videos of the M3/M4 do not do the car's exhaust note/engine noise ANY justice whatsoever. I thought the car sounded like a weed whacker but in person, the car sounds pretty damn special.

I had a chance to really open the car up today and I was absolutely blown away by the exhaust sound of the M4. When you analyze the sound in isolation, it is really spectacular. It is loud, it is mechanical, and very fitting of an M car. To me, the sound represented the essence of the M3's/M4's character and history.

The overrun "pop" this car produces WILL scare small women and children. Backing off the pedal/engine braking in lower gears (e.g., 2nd or 3rd) also produces some wonderful crackles and burbles.

Accelerating on the highway, with the windows down, I could still hear both the engine and the exhaust. The induction noise was wonderful and it sounded like there was a chainsaw loose in the backseat (I mean this in a good way).

Relative to my previous F30 335i, the car has an angrier, more aggressive exhaust note.

I don't mind the Active Sound. Overall, both the engine noise and exhaust note fit the character of the car very well. I am sure that an aftermarket exhaust would improve the noise factor even more.

Does the M4's exhaust sound as manic/loud as the exhaust on my C63? Not quite, no.

But, in no way does that mean that the car's exhaust sounds bad. Quite the contrary, I think that the M engineers nailed the sound. Considering that the car is equipped with a twin-turbocharged inline 6, both the motor and exhaust sound absolutely incredible.

Steering: The steering feel is more precise than the steering on the F30. Period. Turn-in is a joy. In S and S+, the steering is plenty firm. I honestly couldn't believe that the car had an electric steering setup. The "Sport" steering setup was absolutely perfect for me. Plenty firm without feeling artificially heavy.

The C63's steering weight remains consistently heavy, irrespective of driving "mode." Furthermore, the weight/resistance increases as the input increases (both at low and high speeds). The M4's steering had a little more heft at the outset/beginning of a particular steering input. However, I was able to get used to the feeling rather quickly.

The M4's steering does feel a bit on the artificial side (in comparison to the hydraulic setup on the C63) when it comes to transmitting feedback/road feel through the car's front wheels/tires. Some of the road imperfections are dialed out. Depending on what you like in a steering setup, this could be a positive or a negative. Because the M4's steering weight and precision were both so good, the slight loss of feedback was not a big deal to me.

Handling/Suspension/Chassis: This is where the car really shines (not surprisingly). Any minor gripes are dispatched of here. My F30 felt skittish, floaty, and unsettled, even during daily driving. The F82 feels rock solid and planted . . . everywhere. The car is supremely balanced and feels light on its feet. The car felt lighter than my C63.

I induced power oversteer a few times (which is insanely easy to do because of the mountains of torque) and it is very, very easy to control the car and reign the rear end back in. The car responds predictably and doesn't snap back with as much violence as the C63 does.

Brakes: The car I drove had the standard brakes. They are absolutely perfect. I have had these calipers before and was impressed by them on the F30. They are even better paired with the M4's cross-drilled rotors. There is very little . . . actually . . . there is no slop during the brake pedal's initial travel. The pedal feel is firm and confidence-inspiring. At first, it felt like the brakes were an on/off switch, clamping down hard even in the first 1/3 of the brake pedal travel. As I got used to the pedal though, I found the brakes very easy to modulate. Damn those brakes have some serious bite.

Note: We all know that the C63 has absolutely fantastic brakes. The M4's brake hardware, although smaller, is every bit as good as the hardware on the AMG. In my opinion, the CCBs are overkill/eye candy.

Looks: The car looks very wide and powerful in person. The front and rear fender flares are monstrous. The front end looks menacing/angry. I am an absolute sucker for cars with wide, gaping front air dams and the M4 satisfies this criterion with ease. Silverstone is an absolutely beautiful/classy color. The 19" wheels looked awesome in person.

My only knock on the car visually is the rear. It looks like sort of an afterthought. The exhaust tips look kind of "American" too, if that makes sense. I wish there was a more prominent rear diffuser and more color contrast at the rear.

I'm sure the aftermarket can dress up the rear a bit. Straight, non-slant cut exhaust tips would look better too, IMHO.

Overall, the M4 felt like a proper M car.

AMG has its work cut out for it but I have faith that the W205 C63 will be a home run also.

Things that worry me about the W205: Single-piston sliding calipers in the rear; a steering column-mounted gear selector; seats WITHOUT integrated headrests (haven't seen one mule with sporty, one-piece seats similar to those found in the W204); another go around with the lackluster MCT.

Things that excite me about the W205: The 220+ lb weight reduction; the 4.0L biturbo V8; the introduction of the "S" model; the absolutely world-class interior.

A couple of M4 photos:

mr747

GREAT REVIEW

Mike3

I think BMW did a great job. But i cant see myself picking a M4 over the next generation C63 with the V8. At the end of the day i love the sound and power of V8s.


BTW its ezio from M3post.

2009c63soon

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

You hit on my biggest concern for the W205 being the transmission. I can't for the life of me understand why AMG or MB for that matter hasn't programmed their transmissions to respond when you pull a paddle. That delay renders the paddle shifters pretty useless which is a shame as it's such a nice part of the interactive experience. A VW GTI has not problem with this. If a $25,000 car can make this work, it really begs the question. And MB/AMG know this. Their recent attempts to spin this that its in response to different demands from their customers who prefer more luxury is ridiculous. Even if you ignore a dual clutch, look at how smooth yet how crisp the ZF 8 speed auto box is....

zibby43

Thank you!

Hey Ezio. I honestly don't think I'll be able to make a final determination without driving the W205.

My pleasure!

And regarding the transmission, I could not have said it better myself.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Nice write up! Personally, I don't like the way the new F generation cars look. The LED lights look cheap having a reflector instead of a projector. The lights meeting the grille doesn't do the front end any favors, and as much as I love huge intakes, the intakes on the F8x generation cars looks hideous with that small piece at the top and the slits on the ends.The rear end lights bubble, so they look like bug eyes. The fact that engine noise is being pumped into the cabin also is a HUGE turn off to me. I don't care if it's real. I shouldn't be having to listen to it through the speakers. Unless BMW really impresses me with the M2, I probably sat in my last BMW for awhile.

-=Hot|Ice=-

The MCT is a great transmission, and the reason they keep sticking with it is because it can take such abuse and so much power. I mean, what other stock transmission is able to handle 700+ ft lbs. of torque!? The transmission isn't slow by any means, MB just needs to fiddle with the electronics to get the car to shift. A double clutch would have been great, but if Lamborghini can get away with a single clutch in the Aventador to save weight, so can MB. They know they have to knock it out of the park this time or risk losing sales to the M3!

Mike3

i also heard Lamborghini used a single clutch because they think a duel clutch is to smooth. they want more of a kick to the transmission.

zibby43

Yeah the MCT rips off 100-millisecond shifts. I think we sometimes lose sight of that fact. It's not that it is a "bad" transmission. Far from it. I think it is exceptional when cruising; it's smoother/more refined than the DCT. However, when it comes to aggressive driving and the use of M mode, the M-DCT is just mind blowing.

If MB/AMG can solve the problem of "missed" downshifts in M mode, that alone would be a fantastic improvement. Furthermore, sometimes the MCT has a mind of its own and it goes gear hunting. The M-DCT will really stick with a gear for a while.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Honestly, MB just needs to get the software right. The MCT can keep gears as well, even when the car enters a curve, MB needs to fix the electronics that tells the transmission to shift. When the SLS was first introduced, MB was criticized for the same issue, slow changes. We know for a fact it's not the box, but the software tuning.

jarjoug

Great review Z! I am going to stick with MB, regardless of what BMW comes up with. I can never justify paying 15 to 20k more for the same class car.

zibby43

W205 updates have been hard to come by lately.

Thank you my friend. Both M and AMG are on equal footing now, as far as I'm concerned. I'm quite certain that the W205 C63 will be equally as impressive.

Although, with the introduction of the CLA45, I have a feeling that the next C-Class AMG is going to be a bit more "refined."

RW Carbon

The new M3 and M4 is such an awesome car, can't wait to drive one. BMS already did a tune +E30 mix and it made 540whp/560tq

Mike3

now think about the C63 and what power than thing will have tuned

mpower33

+1

Mrmendoza

nice write up!

Need4Speed

awesome review

Tjdehya

I agree that the fake exhaust sound from the BMW speakers does make the car sound "special."

I guess in reality if you buy the car then the only people that will hear the $80k lawnmower are the neighbors so it doesn't matter what the car sounds like.

Very Nice review! Thanks...

zibby43

Thanks for the kind words fellas.

And thanks for reading!

Also, Tjdehya, the car actually sounds very aggressive in person. I know it's a popular cliche on the car forums but videos do not do the engine/exhaust noise any justice.

Mitch111

And another thank you for the well-written - but most of all, objective write up. Yes, I have a C63, but after choosing it over similarly priced M3s locally at the time (one of each Sedan, Coupe, Droptop) and an IS-F...............it's still on my list. I mean, seriously....what legit car nut is not an M-3/4 fan?

That said, as you've alluded to, the W205 C63 should be as equally tempting as the new M3/4s..........though I too am still trying to figure out the column shifter (counter to how E and CLS AMGs are made with console shifters. What's that all about?)

Anyway the comparison tests should be interesting, to say the least.

Other than that, when do you start working for a car magazine doing more reviews? Just sayin', homie!! You wrote that sh........, uh, excuse me........that article like an old pro.

So, who's da man? Huh? Who's da MAAAAAAN!!??

Zibby. Zibby43's da man.

Any questions? Good.

He gone!

zibby43

Thank you! I am truly humbled by your praise my friend. I sincerely appreciate the kind words!

And I could not agree more. While I absolutely love the AMG brand and what it stands for today (they have made giant leaps in recent years when it comes to overall driving dynamics), I have been very impressed by what BMW M and Cadillac "V" have been doing lately.

And I can't forget Lexus "F" either.

coladin

I think it is a great car, a car worthy of my respect, as do other top notch cars like the RS series from Audi.

I cannot and will not accept any car that has fake sound. Just, no. If they can't figure out how to make a car sound special, shame on them. Ultimately many will not care, but I do. I think many here will as we have one of the best sounding cars ever mass produced. We' re spolied.

But it is a great car. Nice review.

hyperion667

nice pix

Mike3

the problem with BMW M is that they don't focus on sound like AMG. the E92 and E60 M5 v10 did sound really good though. but thats because a high revving V8 and V10 by nature will sound good.

When the new 4.0L AMG engine was released the video even talked about a signature AMG sound. when the M4 was released engine noise was not really talked about. This is one of the reasons i am switching over to AMG. I care about sound and power of a engine.