If there’s one surefire way of making a car go faster, simply add three more letters to its name. “That” German brand from Stuttgart ,which shall remain unnamed for the rest of this article, does it all the time. So it should come as no surprise that BMW’s faster, more hardcore, and crucially more exclusive M4 comes with a ‘GTS’ badge after its name.
That should come as no surprise given the M4 GTS’ predecessors such as the M3 GTS, M3 CSL, M3 GT, and M3 CRT. Okay, so the E36 M3 GT didn’t have three letters after it but close enough.
The M4 GTS made its public debut at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show and made quite an impression. The aggressive styling additions such as the deeper front splitter, bespoke wheel designs, and the adjustable rear wing, give the GTS a racy look. A look worthy of a car that can lap the Nurburgring in 7:28 minutes.
Powered by a pumped up version of the M4’s 3.0-litre twin turbo in-line six (featuring water injection), power is now up to 500hp/368kW and torque is at 600NM. 0-100 km/h is one in a supercar-rivalling 3.8 seconds and top speed is “limited” to 305 km/h.
The GTS is all about being the purest ultimate driving machine so BMW have taken out as much as possible in the pursuit of weight saving. So there are carbon-fibre bucket seats, a lightweight centre console, lightweight door and side panel trim, and door pull loopers instead of a door handle inside.
Less obvious are the carbon fibre instrument panel bracing tube. I have literally no idea how much weight that saved but The bonnet, roof, boot lid, and front splitter are made from carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic (CFRP). The rear wing is also made of CFRP and is mounted on aluminium mounts. The rear diffuser is made from carbon fibre while the exhaust system has a titanium muffler, said to be 20 percent lighter. It’s also said to provide an “emotionally rich soundtrack”. All this weight saving means the M4 GTS only weights 1510kg.
As you’d expect, inside there’s a lot of alancatara to accompany the carbon fibre. But what you want is the optional ‘Clubsport Package’. Not only because it sounds awesome (“I’ve got the Clubsport Package”) but it also adds an ‘Acid Orange’ roll bar and race-spec six-point harness. Oh, and a fire extinguisher for those hot laps. But really, who doesn’t want an ‘Acid Orange’ roll bar.
Only 700 will be made, three of which are destined for New Zealand. Prices are expected to start at around $299,990, or nearly double a standard M4. If that seems like a lot to you, it probably is. But then again exclusivity and an Acid Orange roll bar might just be enough to justify that premium.
So it begs the question, this or a Black Series?
