Return of the Phoenix: Driving the BMW M4

For all its innumerable firsts, the new BMW M4 also marks the return of 2 key elements i am sure most of you would have already heard of or seen by now. The return of the Straight-Six (albeit now equipped with Twin Turbochargers), and that color. In BMW speak, it is now called Austin Yellow and although there might be some slight variances to its makeup, this shade is unmistakably reminiscent of BMW's fabled Phoenix Yellow. Like the mythical creature that reignites itself back to life, this new M-car rises up from the foundations of its predecessor with more youthful vigor and power than ever before, and in the process, is proudly christened with the M4 badge for the very first time. Although re-badging the M3 Coupe might at first sound sacrilegious to fans of the marque, this move sits in line with BMW's recent shift in naming policy. What has not changed though is this remains BMW M's most popular sports coupe, and it comes with the credentials to prove it. 425 angry horses and 550Nm of torques lie dormant under the cover of a "down sized" 3-liter Straight-Six, keen to spool up its Twin-Turbos and so very eager to lay waste to some very expensive rubber. Visually, there is no mistaking it for any other car in BMW's stable when painted in this hue. Unfortunately, this color remains a love/hate affair for me. Stunning to look at in pictures and dazzling under the showroom floors, it might be distinctive, but at times, it does come across as a little bit flash. Our test car also came accented with some dark chrome wheels which upped the visual aggression factor by quite a notch. If you are the sort of person who doesn't mind the attention at traffic stops, then perfect. But i'm not sure if this is the color i'd go for if i was to drop a big chunk of my hard earned coin for. Apart from the bright paint, the rest of the bodywork has received the standard modern day M-Division cosmetic enhancements, with bulges and arches pulled aggressively over the generously sized wheels and M badges liberally applied both on the exterior as well as the interior. Along the sides, the 4-Series' Beemerangs have been replaced by a set of deeper cut outlet vents that swipe across along the entire length of the car aft of the doors. With cooling becoming a higher priority due to the nature of forced induction engines, large intake gaps now feature prominently up front and the end effect is a game face that easily parts traffic. Presence, this car has it. On the M3 Sedans, the widened stance is even more pronounced. Though the M4 might look imposing and hunkered down, extensive use of lightweight materials have brought overall weight down 80kgs from the M3s that came before. Even the boot lid uses SMC plastic over a carbon frame as part of the weight saving program. Inside, the first thing that you will first notice is, yes, the seat emblems light up. Apart from the blingy seats which are in fact, extremely comfortable and supportive, everything else inside is of a high-spec leather-wrapped BMW no nonsense business class standard. Controls fall into place logically and the most important bits of information will be relayed to you via the lovely heads-up display. The most noticeable difference here is of course along the central tunnel where the stubby gear knob sits, flanked by a series of buttons and switches controlling throttle response, suspension setups, steering weight and how aggressive would Sir like his gearshifts to be. These life-altering settings can also be saved into 2 preset "M" mode settings which can then be brought back online with some very easy to reach buttons on the squishy steering wheel. Thumb the starter button and the engine erupts into life with a cackling bark before settling into a baritone idle. There might no longer be a rumbling V8 under the bonnet, those who fear the M3 and M4 duo might have lost bits of their soul in the pursuit of turbo-charged power can rest easy. This car can sing it's own tune loud and proud. Thumbing either of the M buttons on the steering opens up some trick valves in the exhaust system and brings up the volume up to 11, for those times when you just want to wake up the neighbours. On the move in regular traffic with the suspension in comfort, the M4 soaks up road imperfections well while maintaining a firm but comfortable ride characteristic. Coupled with a juicy amount of torque available down the rev range makes the car very drivable in everyday traffic. The gearbox might feel a little clunky in stop-start traffic but it's response and speed in swapping cogs once on the move alleviates any previous thoughts of it being inadequate in any way.

Initial thoughts after a drive point to the new M4 being a more refined and maybe even, relaxed car to drive around town in. Granted the steering might be a little bit heavy at times but overall, it feels slightly less high-strung than it's V8 predecessor. This is no cause for worry because once you come across a series of empty tight twisty roads and bring up either of 2 preset M modes, that M could very well mean magic. With the hammer dropped, the century sprint arrives in a scant 4.1 seconds. And through long high speed curves, the M4 remains composed and planted eager to push harder and faster. The absolute limits of this car are easily out of reach for mere mortals like me but the joy of driving the M4 is how playful and balanced the car is when responding to driver inputs and directional changes at levels that sit well within the capabilities of normal drivers like yours truly.

Big CCBs (Carbon Ceramic Brakes) shave of speed without fuss nor fade and with a wide spread of power at your disposal, each new corner arrives as quickly as the previous gets dispatched. It gets very addictive and you start gaining the confidence to put down the power earlier through each bend until the traction control systems kick in to hold the car steadfastly on the line, saving you (and the machine) from yourself and a massively embarrassing situation.

This car inspires one to just keep pushing on and while it might feel a little sedated in traffic, totally comes alive when freed from the confines of the concrete jungles. There have been many youtube videos showing this car thrown through corners with smoke billowing from the rear wheels and the drivers peering out at the road through the side windows. While that does make for a very entertaining show, the reality is that for most of us who value the safety of our license and the car, turning off traction control on public roads is not a particularly wise thing to do. But if or when you do find a nice big empty piece of tarmac to wander beyond the limits of grip, it comes as a pleasant surprise how not-very-difficult it is to man-handle over 400 sliding horses.

The mechanical magic here comes in the form of BMW's trick Active M Differential, which when hooked up to gobfuls of torque from the engine, allows one to adjust the pivoting angle of the car by applying varying degrees of throttle movement. This car just wants to dance and it lets you have fun leaning on it while learning to control its rhythm, balance and poise. Absolutely mega in execution, beautiful to drive under control and uncanny in how well behaved it remains when that control is breached. This Phoenix is reborn, and ready to reign once again.