Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Extreme BMW M4 spy shots

Race car bits, road car bits and a huge rear wing - what is BMW planning?

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Now there's always an element of guesswork when analysing spy shots. Without any official information, you have to infer everything from bodywork alterations, where the car is in its lifecycle and, if there's some video, noise as well.

Hang on, this isn't a normal M4...

But with this BMW M4, we're stumped. For the large part it appears a roadgoing car, using the standard wheels, Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres and even the steel brakes. But it won't take you long to spot where this car is drastically different from even an M4 GTS, leave alone a stock M4.

From the front there's a jutting chin spoiler, so prominent it needs to be tethered to the bumper. The tape on the bonnet doesn't appear to be too important, certainly not compared to the tarmac scraping side skirts. Not only do they make even those skirts on the Elise Cup 250 look a little apologetic, they even make the 19-inch wheels appear rather small.

That odd stance is no doubt helped by what's going on at the back. There's an incredibly aggressive diffuser just a few centimetres from the ground, combined with a gigantic rear wing as well. It's bigger than you'll find on a GTS but not quite DTM-esque, so could it perhaps be a test mule for the upcoming M4 GT4?

Whatever it is, we're intrigued by what the final result could be. Any further guesses, educated or otherwise, most certainly welcome!

Photos: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

[cookie1600]

I hope the black tape that now holds the bonnet down will be available in different colours in lieu of a bonnet catch (presumably removed for lightness?)

[Schermerhorn]

Wouldn't call it extreme. More like someone went to Halfords and made a mess of the car.

Whatever happened to subtle and tasty modifications from manufacturers? The E46 M3 CSL was tastefully done, since then, BMW's have gotten worse with their 'hardcore' models.

[Phon_E87]

I like it.
If you have an "M" car it should look like one, and a more "M" version should do to. You know what you're getting and so does everyone else.
Nothing wrong with that.

You guys'll be saying that a Focus RS in Acid Green or ASBO Orange is wrong next!!

[AshBurrows]

Schermerhorn said:

Wouldn't call it extreme. More like someone went to Halfords and made a mess of the car.

Whatever happened to subtle and tasty modifications from manufacturers? The E46 M3 CSL was tastefully done, since then, BMW's have gotten worse with their 'hardcore' models.

[GroundEffect]

How do we know this isn't a private car? It isn't a GTS but it could be a 'home made' one.

[hufggfg]

AshBurrows said:

Schermerhorn said:

Wouldn't call it extreme. More like someone went to Halfords and made a mess of the car.

Whatever happened to subtle and tasty modifications from manufacturers? The E46 M3 CSL was tastefully done, since then, BMW's have gotten worse with their 'hardcore' models.

Have to say I'm with Schermerhorn on this one. I'm much more a fan of "extreme" cars where it's mechanical changes than make the difference, rather than looks.

E46 M3 CSL is a great example, only way I can tell the difference externally is the duck tail spoiler (very tame by many standards), and the new air intake hole in the front bumper, but the car is already going down as a legend.

Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy for special cars to look as such, but there's a balance to be struck between exterior craziness, and actual mechanical changes, and at pretty much all points I want the changes to be functional.

[MrGeoff]

Is there anything to prove this is even a car affiliated with BMW? To be honest it looks like a private car that's been lowered with a wing, skirts and spoiler with bits of electrical tape on, no?

[AshBurrows]

Pistonheads: Where speed matters...

"What the fk have porsche done with this RS?! Why does it have splitters and wings and generate downforce?! GO BACK TO HALFORDS UGH."

Freakin' bizarro world up in here.

[hufggfg]

AshBurrows said:

Pistonheads: Where speed matters...

"What the fk have porsche done with this RS?! Why does it have splitters and wings and generate downforce?! GO BACK TO HALFORDS UGH."

Freakin' bizarro world up in here.

Pistonheads: Where everything you say is taken to ridiculous extremes and completely misses the point you were making. :P


I have a feeling we're not as far away in opinion as you might think... I generally love the Porsche RS cars, tbh I was pretty disappointed the 991 RS didn't have stickers! (I realise I'm contradicting myself here with the functional part), but in general that's because cars from Porsche's GT division are really special things, they're not just a standard Carrera with a bit more power and some carbon parts. For me, the "specialness" of the engineering justifies slightly silly looks. So, I love a GT3RS, or 675LT, but find the new Civic Type-R too much.

[AshBurrows]

hufggfg said:

Pistonheads: Where everything you say is taken to ridiculous extremes and completely misses the point you were making. :P


I have a feeling we're not as far away as you might think... I generally love the Porsche RS cars, tbh I was pretty disappointed the 991 RS didn't have stickers! (I realise I'm contradicting myself here with the functional part), but in general that's because cars from Porsche's GT division are really special things, they're not just a standard Carrera with a bit more power and some carbon parts. For me, the "specialness" of the engineering justifies slightly silly looks. So, I love a GT3RS, or 675LT, but find the new Civic Type-R too much.

Haha!

You've not given this a fair chance yet though, if it's what I think it is, it'll have trick dampers and arms and steering and Tom Schirmer will have helped set up the chassis. Turn up the boost and you'll probable have a RS fighter on your hands

E: Here's a Schirmer customer car which is very much a work in progress from what I understand...



Pretty similar! It'll be brill

Edited by AshBurrows on Tuesday 23 August 12:10

[S3Swiss]

is it Clarkson, Captain Slow and the Hamster'modifying' cars again for their new show on chavTV?

[hufggfg]

AshBurrows said:

Haha!

You've not given this a fair chance yet though, if it's what I think it is, it'll have trick dampers and arms and steering and Tom Schirmer will have helped set up the chassis. Turn up the boost and you'll probable have a RS fighter on your hands

E: Here's a Schirmer customer car which is very much a work in progress from what I understand...



Pretty similar! It'll be brill

Edited by AshBurrows on Tuesday 23 August 12:10

I certainly hope you're right, I'd love it to be something truly special and deserving of the look.

I really can't decide on the M4 GTS, first glance I find it way too garish, but then by all reports it really is a special car, I think for me with the M4 GTS it's more a matter of the details I don't actually like, such as the matt ("frozen") paint, and style of the wheels. All a bit too "bling" rather than "racer".

[jayemm89]

Schrodinger's Pistonheader:

Simultaneously hates the fact that people mistake a 318d with "M Sport" bits for an M3

and moans about the fact that the M3 is too visually outlandish compared with the old ones

[Fire99]

The impolite line would be that it looks like Ripspeed had a large say in the 'bolt-on' bits and the more diplomatic line would be that it looks very awkward.. The 4 series is quite big and proportionately looks like a large GT (almost 6 series). It's not that the parts are either subtle nor extreme, its that they appear 'uncomfortable' on the car.

[sh33n]

Have to agree with others, this looks a bit homemade. If it's a true BMW "extreme" model why no CCBs?

[hufggfg]

sh33n said:

Have to agree with others, this looks a bit homemade. If it's a true BMW "extreme" model why no CCBs?

Do GT4 regs allow carbon brakes? The Cayman Clubsport doesn't have them, so I'd guess the answer is "no". I have to say, if they make a road-going variant of the M4 GT4, which is very close to the race car, that would be AWESOME.

[Wills2]

Stock exhaust, stock brakes, BMW roundels not covered up (they always cover them up on test mules) I don't think this is a BMW mule, was this spotted at at a BMW test day at the ring?

There will be a CSL that will sit above the GTS but I doubt this is it, looks very Heath Robinson even for a test mule.

[sh33n]

hufggfg said:

sh33n said:

Have to agree with others, this looks a bit homemade. If it's a true BMW "extreme" model why no CCBs?

Do GT4 regs allow carbon brakes? The Cayman Clubsport doesn't have them, so I'd guess the answer is "no". I have to say, if they make a road-going variant of the M4 GT4, which is very close to the race car, that would be AWESOME.

I was thinking of a road car, in the same category as the Cayman GT4 - which does have (optional?) CCBs.

A road going variant would be awesome, but where would the price be? GTS is already pretty pricey for us mortals in the standard M car bracket.

[hufggfg]

sh33n said:

hufggfg said:

sh33n said:

Have to agree with others, this looks a bit homemade. If it's a true BMW "extreme" model why no CCBs?

Do GT4 regs allow carbon brakes? The Cayman Clubsport doesn't have them, so I'd guess the answer is "no". I have to say, if they make a road-going variant of the M4 GT4, which is very close to the race car, that would be AWESOME.

I was thinking of a road car, in the same category as the Cayman GT4 - which does have (optional?) CCBs.

A road going variant would be awesome, but where would the price be? GTS is already pretty pricey for us mortals in the standard M car bracket.

Yes the Cayman is a bit confusing, the GT4 (a road car) has optional CCBs, but the GT4 Clubsport (the race car eligible for GT4) has steel brakes.


My hope would be (doubtful though I'm sure), that the idea of a M4 GT4 would be to strip it back, rather than add power, so effectively compete with a Cayman GT4, rather than a 911 GT3.

[ecs0set]

Why don't we ask PistonHeads, they appear to have stuck their logo all over the car.

Oh, wait...