The BMW M4 Competition has received a range of tweaks aimed at keeping it on pace with the sports car opposition, boosting its engine's output and upgrading its infotainment system.
The twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six gains 20bhp, up from 503bhp to 523bhp. This peak is delivered at higher revs than previously: 6250rpm, rather than 5600rpm.
Torque is unchanged, at 479lb ft, but this level is held for an additional 230rpm, peaking between 2750rpm and 5730rpm.
Rear-wheel drive has been dropped from the M4 line-up, leaving the four-wheel-drive xDrive version as the only option. This is capable of sending torque exclusively to the rear wheels, doing so when the stability control is disabled.
Despite the increased output of the new M4, its on-paper performance is unchanged, with BMW claiming 0-62mph sprint times of 3.5sec for the coupé and 3.7sec for the cabriolet.
Meanwhile, the regular BMW 4 Series engine line-up is unchanged, comprising a 181bhp four-pot, designated the 420i, and a 48V mild-hybrid 369bhp six-pot, designated the M440i.
The 255bhp 430i was dropped from the 4 Series alongside the 420d and 430d diesels in March 2023, due to “evolving market demands”.
The new 4 Series and M4 are visually distinguished from the previous models by new lights at either end, with the rear set featuring the same glassfibre bundle technology featured on the limited-run BMW M4 CSL.
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The M4 has been tested to show that it produces more power than the 503bhp which BMW had previosuly quoted, so perhaps the power change is a paper excercise only, more so if performance figures are unchanged.