Attached is the German magazine Sport Auto's article on the test drive of the new G82 M4.
Sport Auto is home of the Supertests which partly takes place on the Nürburgring and which has set the benchmark in Nürburgring lap time comparisons.
Sport Auto has a lot of good to say about how the car drives and handles on the track. Much better than the F82 M4 Comp that they did back to back laps with on the same circuit the same day… From their review it sounds like the G8x both is a very capable, quick, and not least, a very entertaining car to drive on track
EDIT: Have "translated" the Google translation into what is, hopefully, a more coherent text… Neither English nor German is my first languages (I speak both) but I have tried to clean the text up to the best of my ability
Quote:
Shortly after the “Große-Kuppe” left hand curve the fourth gear is perfect, the three-liter inline six-cylinder engine pushes plenty of torque through the transmission. Now: buttocks clinch, take off a little bit of throttle, because still the low coefficient of friction on the still damp (wet) track in the fast Ralf Waldmann kink pushes the car onto the kerbs. Doesn't have to be. Yet: The new BMW M4 interacts (interlock) insanely consistent with the damp asphalt. Both with the front as well as the rear wheels.
So much that the BMW M team even has one predecessor M4 Competition (with DKG) deployed so that we can experience both generations in direct comparison to each other. In fact, the old acquaintance F82 fullfills all expectations. It turns in committed and quick, however, it never leaves any doubt to its drive concept: All power to the rear.
With the new G82 (the number 2 stands for the coupe) you haven’t even reached the legendary and tricky Omega of the Sachsenring, as the cars lateral acceleration and feedback filter through your body and tells you:
This M4 can do everything better. Better at driving at least. And much better. The bite of the front wheels alone; this turn-in punch after mere milliseconds until the rear follows. Under the current damp conditions the electronics quickly catches the rear.
Now the entire car turns at the instant of the steering impulse around the vertical axis, twists with highest natural agility through alternating curves (Omega exit uphill over the hilltop. My God!). The car bravely keeps the line, and is even closer connected than before to the driver. Why? The communication is just right, no matter if it’s through the steering or the chassis - you always know what's going on.
Nevertheless you can trust BMW ///M, to also provide you with a relaxed long-distance trip.
The current M puts far less emphasis on suspension comfort than before. And this is good thing.
What have the boys and girls in the development team particularly focused on?
,,We have invested a lot in the direct connection of the chassis", says Carsten Wolf, Project Manager Vehicle Characteristics M3 / M4. The engineer doesn't say much more since he want to save the details for the world premiere in September. He says one other thing though:
,, The progress in the tire is immense".
New: Mixed tires of dimensions 275 / 35-19 at the front and 285 / 30-20 at the rear. In addition six instead of four-piston fixed caliper brakes on the front axle with carbon-ceramic discs, in case of doubt both as options. In general: This would be the preferred choice.
For the first test rounds we have the entry-level, 480PS, six-speed manual transmission. The market launch also introduces the Competition variant with 510 hp and the eight-speed automatic transmission. Later this is followed by an all-wheel drive in the mold of the M5/M6 – this possibly comes a generation too late.
Because the mechanical grip turns out to be so much higher than before, there is now a significantly improved stability control with better programming. Even in a full protection mode the stability system now works perfectly even in the lower curve where the track is particularly rough.
On entry to the Queberg curve. downshift two gears. Not because it’s necessary but just because it's so much fun. One downshift would have been sufficient.
Asphalt evaporates:
On the start-finish straight, going through the precise and short gear changes is a pleasure, not too light and with a beautifully modelled resistance. This is the case also for the steering, which - typical of BMW - even on the racetrack in the comfort mode gives a particularly homogenous feeling of steering. The ideal line dries out, lap after lap the M4 can put more and more of its maximum torque of 600Nm down, the competition model has as much as 650Nm.
You sit perfectly positioned behind the steering wheel in gripping sports seats which works great and that also finally, since the X3 / X4 M, comes with an extendable thigh pad.
We would probably want a bit less “playful” instruments, the one in the car are virtual, but despite that has a somewhat classic layout.
And also more sound, more panic orchestra, fitting of the driving behaviour would be preferred. Yes, sure, the biturbo S58 is already making music, sometimes bassy, sometimes brighter, sometimes slightly metallic, always hoarse, still somewhat washed out, like an overcompressed MP3 track. LP would be again nice, or at least an early one CD, when music still was produced more expensively.
The M4 drives no differently than the M3 and vice versa. The car successfully strives to get you to sweep away with its incredible agility, the engine’s character with power and rev happiness imitates the best the 80s, 90s and 2000s, so to speak.
You use it, enjoy it, fight with the racetrack, register the immense traction in the dry. Because even with moderate acceleration out of the left hand turn after the karting hall, you can sense the delicate oversteer in your hands. There could be even more oversteer but the MDM mode of the traction control reigns it in.
With lots of momentum through Turn 9, 10 and 11, the line gets tighter, full throttle downhill, then drop the anchor. No problem, the brake pedal has a a clearly defined pressure point and great deceleration.
Then, downshift. Perfect with the manual shifter. Once again, one gear more than necessary. Just because it's so much fun to do so...
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