It is finally happening. The BMW M4 is starting to make its way into the wild, and we are starting to get some of the first real measurements of its performance. The crazy Germans at Sport Auto have finally flogged Bavaria’s newest darling around the Nurburgring->ke999 and the results are… less than impressive.

Put down the pitchfork and let me explain.

At 7 minutes and 52 seconds, the BMW M4 is just 2 and a bit seconds quicker than the new Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R. Yes, the Renault’s time is a new world record for a FWD car, but it’s still a front-wheel drive hot hatch. So why so slow, BMW?

For starters this test was not a BMW->ke178-conducted test, and while Sport Auto’s Horst von Saurma has put dozens of cars around the Green Hell, he is far from a top-tier professional driver. Back in October of 2010, both Sport Auto and Nissan sent the 2011 GT-R around the ‘Ring and Horst von Saurma’s time was a full 10 seconds slower than Nissan’s professional hot shoe. By the way, Nissan was on a damp track.

So if the driver may be to blame for lackluster times, how do we know how fast the new M4 really is?

Check after the break and I will tell you.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 BMW M4.

Why It Matters

Well the time in and of itself is not that impressive, if we remove other professional drivers from the equation and just focus on von Saurma's previous performances we can get a better idea of just how fast the new M4 really is.

Of the cars previously put around the Ring by Auto Sport, the new M4 bested the last generation versions of the M3->ke2366 and the 911 Turbo as well as the Ferrari F430.

That makes it sound much more exciting doesn’t it? Aren’t you glad you put that pitchfork down and didn’t run me through?

Things still are not all roses and sunshine, though. Even with only using times where von Saurma was behind the wheel, the M4 was still not able to best cars like the old C6 Corvette Z06 or a 2009 test of the 911 Carrera S.

2015 BMW M4

The M4 is BMW’s newest addition to the family of M cars. It replaces the old M3 Coupe as the fastest, small two-door in the BMW lineup. It features a 3.0-liter, straight-six engine that is force fed via turbocharger. Thanks to the turbo, this mill is good for 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The 0-to-60-mph sprint should be dispatched in about four econds flat. Sadly, BMW still insists on limiting the top speed of its cars, so don’t expect to go any faster than 155 mph. If you are one of the nefarious hoonigan types and found a way to get rid of the limiter, it likely wouldn’t be too hard to see 175 mph or more.

The new car is on sale now, and delivery to U.S. customers is just starting. Look for a full review from us in a few weeks.