Design BMW M4

Design BMW M4

The BMW M4 Coupe - successor to the three-door M3 - was revealed at a private BMW event in California.

It was revealed at a private BMW event in California, ahead of a public debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

And while it’s officially still a concept, don’t be fooled – the car you see here is 99 per cent representative of what you’ll be able to buy early next year.

BMW is labelling the M4 a styling concept at this point, so there are no official engineering details on the chassis or engine. However, we already know the old E92 M3’s naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V8 will be replaced by a new twin-turbo 3.0 six-cylinder, which is designed to improve fuel consumption while increasing performance.

This engine is derived from BMW’s new modular engine family, which will include three, four and six-cylinder diesel and petrol units, and is expected to deliver 438bhp and 480Nm of torque. That’s 24bhp and 80Nm more than in the old M3 Coupé, even though the newcomer weighs up to 100kg less.

To bring the handling up to scratch, engineers will tweak the suspension layout with lower springs and stiffer, adjustable dampers. A wider track front and rear will aid stability and fill out the flared wheelarches, while a revised M differential will help the driver to execute the smoky drifts for which these cars are famous. Plus, new electromechanical steering will be tuned for sharper reactions than the standard car.