BMW M4 2025 review – a brash, bruising and exciting Porsche 911 rival

It’s hard not to make negative assumptions about the G82 BMW M4 Competition. Firstly, there’s the way it looks. We may have gotten used to its beaver-teeth front end and bulky proportions since it was first shown in 2020, but time hasn’t made it any more elegant. Then there’s the kerb weight – 1850kg – which sounds like it should belong to an 8-series rather than a 4. The fact that the Competition (the only model we get in the UK) is only offered with xDrive and a torque converter auto might also ring alarm bells. Has the M4 gone soft? 

You only need to drive the M4 for a mile or two, with everything dialled up to maximum attack, to realise the answer is no. This is a bonafide M car with enough bite, aggression and raw capability to deliver a genuinely thrilling drive no matter the conditions. A 2024 update has ramped things up further, raising the M4’s peak power (523bhp, with the 479lb ft torque peak spread across a wider rev range) while tweaking its (admittedly still challenging) looks and overhauling its interior tech. 

It’s not perfect. Next to a purpose-built sports coupe (say a Porsche 911 Carrera) the M4 feels big and less wieldy, and doesn’t plug you into the driving experience to the same degree. It’s also an incredibly complex car that takes some time to figure out, in terms of its huge selection of drive mode settings. But if you’re after a four-seat sports coupe with enormous flexibility and a brutal, exciting character, the M4 is hard to beat – particularly since there’s no longer a direct alternative from Mercedes-AMG, and Audi’s RS5 has reached the end of its life. 

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

Under the bonnet is a 3-litre twin-turbo straight-six (codenamed S58) mated to an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The motor has closed-deck construction for extra strength and a forged lightweight crankshaft to help it rev, and the core of the cylinder head is 3D printed, allowing forms that wouldn’t be possible with conventional techniques. Valvetronic variable valve timing and Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing are also present and correct. In the latest M4 Competition the S58 generates 523bhp at 6250rpm, and 479lb ft of torque spread between 2750 and 5730rpm. That’s 20bhp more than the pre-facelift model, and though peak torque is unchanged, it’s delivered across a wider rev band than before. The engine control electronics have been tweaked to achieve this. 

Although the Competition is where the M4’s UK range starts, other markets are able to choose a lower-powered base version of the M4. It puts out 473bhp and a significantly reduced 406lb ft of torque, and is available exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox. We've driven the manual version overseas, and it brings a closer connection to the engine and a welcome extra layer to the M4's character.

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From launch, the G82 M4 was rear-drive only, but an optional xDrive system was offered from 2021. It’s an excellent, variable four-wheel drive system with an active M rear differential and three modes – 4WD, more rear-biased 4WD Sport and 2WD – and later came as standard on all UK M4s, which remains the case with the latest model. 

Under the surface is a lot of extra bracing compared to cooking 4-series coupes. Open the bonnet and you will see some of it, which links down to an aluminium shear panel. There is more bracing in the centre and rear of the floor, while the new front subframe is aluminium and the rear subframe is rigidly mounted to the chassis.

The suspension has also received a thorough reworking, with M-specific springs, adaptive dampers and kinematics. Steering is by an M Servotronic system, and pretty much every parameter – from the brake pedal feel, four-wheel drive system, ten-stage M traction control, damping, steering weight and more – can be adjusted in the drive mode menu. 

Despite using carbonfibre for the roof, optional M bucket seats and other elements (included in the optional M Carbon exterior pack), the M4 is no flyweight at 1850kg. That’s 190kg more than an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, although still significantly lighter than Mercedes-AMG’s 2.1-ton, hybrid C63 S E Performance.

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Performance and 0-60mph time

With its monster outputs and four-wheel drive system, the M4’s performance is devastating no matter the conditions underfoot. The turbocharged straight-six is linear and forceful in its power delivery, and though its synthetically-enhanced engine note isn’t that pleasant on the ears, it pulls incredibly smoothly all the way through its rev range right up to over 7000rpm. 

When the G82 M4 was launched, the auto’s gear shifts were very smooth and quick enough, but weren’t a match for the best dual clutches like Porsche’s PDK. However, subsequent software tweaks by BMW M have improved things, and in the latest car the ’box feels punchy and responsive – particularly if you ramp up the aggression of the shift via the multi-stage Drivelogic gearbox settings.

This, coupled with the traction of the four-wheel drive system, means that very little of the M4’s 523bhp is wasted. It’ll hit 62mph from rest in 3.5sec and runs on to a top speed of 155mph, or 180mph if you spec the optional M Driver’s Pack. 

Ride and handling

On the road the first thing that you notice is the rigidity of the M4’s structure. You can feel it from the first corner, and the response as you turn the wheel is tremendous, even with the chassis in its Comfort setting. It helps the M4 drive like a lighter car than it is, although it always feels like a physically wide, substantial coupe. 

There is a huge amount of grip, but the fact that the car seems to lean into its sidewalls almost the instant that you steer into a bend means that finding the limit is more of an act of trust rather than feel. This is particularly true with the steering in the lightest mode, which gives very little sense of the tyres loading up. 

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With that said, the M4’s responsiveness gives you confidence to place it accurately and carry speed, and the body is firmly supported even in the Comfort setting. The softest mode still feels firm and a little uncompromising at low speed, more so than we remember from the pre-facelift model, but this does give the M4 a definite sense of purpose. The firmer Sport mode can be useful through big undulations, and helps keep the big, heavy body keyed into the road. 

In wet conditions the M4’s lack of ultimate feel means you don’t feel immediately at ease as you would in a 911, but traction is superb, as is the punch out of low-speed corners. Switching to the rear-biased 4WD Sport mode and slackening off the ESC introduces some jeopardy – the M4 feels very rear-driven and can twitch sideways with ease – but it’s still able to find forward drive while being more throttle adjustable. In 2WD mode with the traction control off the M4 is very lairy, but there’s lovely progression and controllability in the way it slides. If you’re on track and you have the skills of John Barker then you will also be able to hold a drift long enough to garner a five-star rating from the Drift Analyser screen.

In short, despite the misgivings the spec sheet might raise, the M4 Competition feels like a proper product of BMW’s Motorsport department. The way it drives is fantastically direct, intuitive and fun. 

Interior and tech

Inside the facelifted M4 you get BMW’s latest-gen infotainment system, comprising two widescreen displays set beneath a single sheet of curved glass on the dash. It’s an impressive and modern looking unit, and you can operate the central screen via touch or an iDrive rotary controller, but the array of small icons and sub-menus can make it complicated to use on the move. At least compared to the outgoing M4’s system. 

With that said, you do get a wealth of functionality including an onboard personal assistant, cloud-based navigation, wireless smartphone integration and an M-specific head-up display. There’s also a fair amount of M garnish all over the cabin, with M coloured graphics across the dash displays, a red top stripe on the flat-bottomed wheel and optional carbon inserts. 

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The driving position is excellent, particularly with the optional and very supportive M carbon bucket seats, which save 9.6kg over the standard items. The wheel extends far out of the dash and you can sit low in the chassis, although this can magnify the sense of bulk around you. Quality is first rate too, and though there’s less physical switchgear than in the pre-facelift G82, what’s left is tactile and premium to touch. 

As part of the 2024 facelift, the M4 has gained new LED lights (adaptive units are optional) with redesigned rear units borrowed from the M4 CSL. You also get a host of safety tech onboard, such as lane assist and a speed limit notification, although these can be turned off in one hit by selecting Track mode. 

Price and rivals

Perhaps the M4 Competition’s biggest rival is the M3 Competition. The Coupe costs from just over £88,985 while the more practical saloon costs from £87,205. Not a big price difference, but the M3 obviously has greater practicality (particularly in Touring form) and has the same performance and brutal, addictive character.

Rivals from other brands include the Mercedes AMG C63 S E Performance and Alfa Romeo’s Giulia Quadrifoglio. The bombastic character of the C63 has been neutered by the introduction of a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain in place of the V8 in the previous model, but the Alfa is as competitive as ever thanks to a recent facelift. We'll need to get all three on the same piece of road on the same day to decide which flavour of fast, usable performance car is most appealing. 

If you’re after something more bespoke and involving (albeit less practical and at a much higher price point), Porsche will sell you a 992.2 Carrera for £99,800. Despite how precise and entertaining the M4 is, the 911 is a clear step up in terms of feedback, finesse and communication, and ultimately feels like a more finely honed product. 

The Lotus Emira is another more purpose-built alternative, but one that undercuts the M4 in price. For £81,495 you can buy the AMG-engined four-cylinder model, with the V6 model costing £85,995.