The 2021 BMW M4 is coming, and BMW is giving us a sneak peek on what we can expect from the new model when it arrives in September. We’ve only seen the new M4 in heavy camo, but a fresh batch of photos taken from the Red Bull Ring during the Moto GP round in Austria shows the new M4 — and the M4 GT3 — clad in what can only be described as loose clothing.
What do we make of the new BMW M4 from these photos?
We’ve seen the 2021 BMW M4 out and about during its numerous test runs, but we haven’t seen the sports coupe wearing close to nothing in terms of wraps and camouflage. This time, there’s no bulky cladding or any tricky camouflage to see through anymore.
Unfortunately, it looks like BMW’s going all-in on its new large kidney grilles. It’s fairly clear by now that the new M4 will wear the eyesore of a grille. There is some measure of good news in that the design around the grille looks fairly new. From the scalloped hood to the aggressive bumper design, it looks like the grille won’t stand out as much as we feared it would.
Over at the sides, aggressive side skirts are also part of the new M4’s design while at the back, the fenders appear wider than they are in the current M4 and the presence of the quad-tipped exhaust suggests that the new sports coupe will be potent enough to justify its status as tried and true M model.
Overall, the new M4 looks like it’s finally a finished product. It took some time to get to this point, but with the long-awaited debut on the horizon, it’s finally time we come to grips with what the 2021 BMW M4 is going to look like. If you’re still not feeling that large grille, maybe it’s time we all start getting used to it.
What about the BMW M4 GT3?
It is cool seeing the new BMW M4 lined up next to its racing brother, the BMW M4 GT3.
As similar as the two models are — they share numerous styling elements — the M4 GT3 is naturally wider and it sits closer to the ground than its road-going alter-ego. That’s a by-product of its identity as a race car.
The proportions look more natural and the grille, on its own, doesn’t look completely out of place. Maybe that’s what BMW should have done with its production models from the start.
What kind of powertrain should we expect from the new BMW M4?
The 2021 BMW M4 will be powered by the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo S58 inline-six engine that we first saw in the BMW X3 M and X4 M, delivering 473 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque or 503 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque in Competition trim}.
From the looks of it, the M4’s twin-turbo inline-six engine will produce the same output as the 'regular' X3 M and X4 M, while a future M4 Competition trim would sport similar power and torque figures as the current X3/X4 M Competition.
BMW has yet to mention the performance capabilities of the new M4, but it’s worth noting that the outgoing M4 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds. Expect the new M4 to perform along the same lines or maybe even be a tad quicker than its predecessor. The top speed for the new M4, on the other hand, is likely to stay at the same electronically limited number of 155 mph.
How much will the new 2021 BMW M4 cost?
Pricing for the new M4 is expected to start a little north of $70,000. That's a normal price bump of a few thousand dollars compared to the $69,000 of the outgoing model.