The BMW M3 and M4 have become the standard for a great driving and well-made sports sedan and coupe. The newest models are looking to improve on the already great formula by introducing a small number of tweaks to make the cars better than ever.
The most drastic changes, of course, come in the form of both cars' styling, as they look so different compared to the previous generations of M3 and M4 cars. Below are some of our favorite features of the new 2021 BMW M3 and M4.
10 Redesigned Styling
The most obvious change to the new BMW vehicles for both the M4 and M3 is the styling. The kidney grille is what you'll notice most, as it's been somewhat lengthened over previous models.
Besides this the cars have been given a much more aggressive look in tune with the new grille, this comes in the form of some wider, sportier-looking vents and some sharper edges most prominently on the hood.
9 The Engines
Engines for both the M4 and M3 come in the form of an inline-six, 3-liter twin-turbo. There are options available for these engines, with the best versions offering slightly more power for better performance.
The base engine creates 473 hp and slightly over 400 lb-ft of torque. However, if you choose to opt for the competition version, you'll get an additional 30 hp and a total 479 lb-ft of torque, making for an almost supercar-like performance in a sedan and coupe format.
8 Transmission Options
Both the BMW M4 and M3 come with the same options as far as transmissions go. However, choices are available depending on whether you choose the competition-spec models or not.
Those who choose either the standard BMW M3 or M4 will be presented with a six-speed manual transmission. This interestingly is what sets the BMW apart from rivals as most only offer automatic options. If you do decide to opt for the competition-spec variant, you'll be looking at an 8-speed automatic.
7 Interior And Build Quality
Classically, BMW has gone for the sportier look in both the M3 and M4. This is fairly common among the sportier M versions of BMW vehicles, with certainly sporty and debatably garish interior colors. However, the sports features don't just stop at the color choices.
Optional carbon-fiber racing bucket seats are available on both cars and a sports steering wheel to solidify the fact it's an M-spec vehicle. The build quality is typically German and this means the car is built to perfection with exceptional attention to detail.
6 Tech And Infotainment
Tech options are also pretty great on both cars, they each come with a 10.3-inch infotainment system as well as a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, much like what you would see on most other BMWs.
BMW's iDrive system includes useful features such as navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. A personal voice assistant is also seen here and for those who want to max out the BMW, you can select a heads-up display as an added option.
5 Safety Features
Being cars that are often used as daily drivers, the M3 and M4 need to come with some good safety features in order to compete with the likes of Audi and Mercedes. Luckily, both cars come with expected features as standard.
Base versions of both the M3 and M4 come with a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, active blind-spot detection, and forward collision warning, ensuring a safe experience for passengers all round.
4 Updates Over Previous Models
Since the M3 and M4 have been in BMW's lineup for so long, you could be forgiven for thinking that the new cars aren't all that different from the old ones. But on closer inspection, you can tell BMW has looked to update both cars to make them better than ever.
For starters, the new M4 is a full 4.6 inches longer than the past M4 and 0.7 inches wider. There's also been an increase in power for both models, with the car now producing around 50 hp more than the previous model.
3 Drivetrain System
One of the most interesting changes to the cars comes in the form of the drivetrain system, as standard the cars come as rear-wheel-drive just like old ones, however, a new system has been introduced too.
As a first for the M3, in particular, the option of an adaptive four-wheel-drive system, much like the one on the newest BMW M5, is available, meaning the driver can choose specifically how much of the power is sent to the rear wheels, adding more control than ever before.
2 Sport Features
Both cars are also given some interesting sports options to set them apart from the standard BMW models even more. The M Mode feature gives the driver access to dedicated M Mode settings where It's possible to change settings relating to the engine, suspension, and steering.
Elsewhere, some drive mode options are given which including efficient, sport, and sport plus modes. One of the coolest features that's worth a mention is the exhaust system, which has a dedicated M Sound button used for improving the note produced by the car.
1 Cargo Space And Comfort
Comfort in both the M3 and M4 should be nothing short of exceptional. However, it should be noted that there may be a slight decrease in front passenger comfort if opting for the sportier bucket seats, however, they will offer much better support when on track. Passenger headroom has increased slightly on both the M3 and M4 too, by around half an inch or so.
Legroom is once again great in both cars, although there is a slight decrease on past models, still, it's nothing to worry about. Some great standard comfort features include tri-zone automatic climate control and 14-way power-adjustable front seats. Total cargo volume from the BMW M3 comes in at 15.5 cubic-ft and 13 for the M4.