We've barely reached the halfway point of the year and it seems BMW's->ke178 newest addition to its M family->ke546 has been in the headlines so much we've seen one incarnation of the sports car->ke506 after another in various racing series all over the world. And just to drive home that point, BMW Abu Dhabi has released a new batch of photos of the M4 Coupe in the middle of a tire-smoking drifting session, all while sporting BMW's official racing colors.

Those unmistakable BMW racing graphics look pretty sexy on the M4, don't they?

Not a lot of BMW models can proudly wear those colors and make it look like they were born to be dressed in them. The M3 was usually the car getting the racing garb and for good reason. But with the arrival of the M4 Coupe and BMW's decision to keep the M3 a sedan->ke142 from here on out, it does look like the baton is finally getting passed to the newest member of the M family.

Click past the jump to read more about the BMW M4 Coupe.

Why It Matters

Trust us on this one point. Years into the future when people start raving about the classic status of the BMW M4 Coupe, we'll all look back and point to 2014 as the year when the legend of the M4 Coupe began.

BMW M4 Coupe

Since the BMW M4 Coupe was unveiled at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show , the sports car has been one of the most popular BMW models in the market.

The model comes as a replacement to the old M3 coupe and, unlike the model it replaces, the M4 features a sportier and more aerodynamic look. Also gone is the archaic 4.0-liter, V-8 engine and in comes a modern 3.0-liter, inline six-cylinder engine that features M TwinPower Turbo technology.

Even though the new engine is smaller, it delivers more power than the V-8 it replaces — 425 horsepower between 5,500 and 7,300 rpm and 406 pound-feet of torque between 1,850 and 5,500 rpm. This is plenty to sprint the M4 from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 3.9 seconds and up to a governed top speed of 155 mph.