After countless renders, liveried racetrack teasers, and a last-minute pre-release leak, the 2021 BMW M3 and M4 are finally here. For months now, talk of the oversized kidney grille has preceded these cars, drawing all manner of opinion. Whether you can get on board with the new nose or not, the most recent additions to the M-line are still well worth a look.
Under the hood, both cars hide a BMW S58 twin-turbo straight-six engine, with the standard M cars putting out 480hp with 405 ft-lb of torque and the Competition models boosted to 510hp and 479 ft-lb of torque. All in, they’ll do 0-60mph in just 4.1s and 3.8s respectively. And even though stick shifts are becoming something of a rarity, the base M3 and M4 come standard with a six-speed manual. Should you opt for the Competition model, you’ll get an eight-speed automatic offering three levels of shifting speed. What’s more is that for the first time ever, the M3 and M4 will feature BMW’s 10-stage traction control function, allowing the driver to cater the car’s grip to their liking. Inside, both cars retain much of the interior from their standard siblings, but with a slew of M-styled specialties such as Merino leather bucket seats and illuminated badges. However, the cherry on top has to be M Drive Professional, an in-built feature that allows drivers to analyze their track and drift performance. The BMW M3 and M4 will start at $69,900 and $71,800, with the Competition models costing a further $2,900.
