Thoughts on spec'ing an M4 Comp Pack

[FlyingPanda]

I am getting dangerously close to signing on the line for one of these special deal M4 CP's.

Just wondered if anyone had any must-have or don't-bother-with suggestions for these? To be clear, these are all ex-stock, so I can't choose my own spec, but they have quite a few of them and so there are probably enough around to find one with the 'right' options.

Any thoughts from those that have gone before me?

Edited by FlyingPanda on Tuesday 14th July 17:59

[Mark83]

The Ultimate Pack ticks all the right boxes. HUD, 360 camera, HK etc.

I got mine during the 2019 Q4 deal-fest. Mine came with the Ultimate Pack and had everything I wanted on top of the standard spec.

Edited by Mark83 on Tuesday 14th July 19:32

[Smuler]

From when these are discussed for desirability


Full leather
Icon adaptive lights
Harmon Kardon
HUD with the separate speed limit display
Reverse camera
Surround view

Not sure whether ultimate pack includes full leather.

[Jabba1977]

The ultimate pack is great but not all of it is needed. Having had 4 of these, the most important thing is a nice individual colour - black, white, Silverstone and mineral all look good but are very common. I would always go for Icons, HUD and speed display. If you can find one with Full Leather rather than extended then this makes a huge difference to the interior. Harmon Kardon is not great and don’t bother with Surround view - it is hopeless compared to later i-drive 7 systems and I always switched it off.

Whichever spec you choose you will love it - enjoy!

[FlyingPanda]

Thanks for the feedback - all very interesting stuff. Funny enough I have found one with just about all of the ‘good stuff’ mentioned, but I thought I might like Surround View (which it didn’t have) having scuffed a diamond-cut alloy in a 1960’s multi storey car park that I frequent quite often, so I thought it might be worth the investment. Seems like it’s not as useful as it sounds though, and I’m ticking all the other boxes, so....

[PorkInsider]

I'd agree with individual paint, full leather, HUD and HK.

Full leather in particular makes a big difference.

[Timbuktu]

ky.

Edited by YinSan on Tuesday 30th November 12:52

[FlyingPanda]

Just as an update, I drove an M4 Comp Pack yesterday and wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be. There were many excellent elements (the performance and handling being the big ones) but overall it just didn't really gel for me. I might be getting old, but I found the seats and ride fairly uncomfortable, and when on part throttle tricking through the town centre traffic it was all a bit unhappy - the throttle response was fabulous if going for it but not so great if you weren't. The sound of it was a mixed bag too - sometimes fabulous, other times a bit Frankie & Benny's Car park on a Saturday night.

I also felt the interior seemed a bit dated and not befitting a £50k+ car (especially noticeable compared with my 2017 530d). I think overall I'd say I was a bit disappointed - I used to drive the early M3s and loved them, so either I've got older or things have moved on a lot. Probably both.

So, then I had a test in an 840i, and that will probably need to be the subject of a separate thread...

[PorkInsider]

FlyingPanda said:

Just as an update, I drove an M4 Comp Pack yesterday and wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be. There were many excellent elements (the performance and handling being the big ones) but overall it just didn't really gel for me. I might be getting old, but I found the seats and ride fairly uncomfortable, and when on part throttle tricking through the town centre traffic it was all a bit unhappy - the throttle response was fabulous if going for it but not so great if you weren't. The sound of it was a mixed bag too - sometimes fabulous, other times a bit Frankie & Benny's Car park on a Saturday night.

I also felt the interior seemed a bit dated and not befitting a £50k+ car (especially noticeable compared with my 2017 530d). I think overall I'd say I was a bit disappointed - I used to drive the early M3s and loved them, so either I've got older or things have moved on a lot. Probably both.

So, then I had a test in an 840i, and that will probably need to be the subject of a separate thread...

Interesting to hear your thoughts.

The full leather makes a huge difference to the interior - I'd bet the one you drove was just extended leather. Without full leather there's a lot of plastic and I agree it looks dated and low quality to some extent.

Regarding throttle response and noise - they're both controlled by the engine characteristics settings (in iDrive or the buttons on the centre console). I'd have money on you having driven it in Sport Plus engine setting - you wouldn't have had the McDonald's car park sound effects otherwise. They're a pig to drive 'normally' in that setting unless you're very used to it. When I first got mine I couldn't negotiate speed bumps without lurching and kangarooing around as even the very tiniest throttle pedal movement would unleash an extra 100bhp at the wrong moment.

They're absolutely not for everyone though anyway, that's for sure! And I think if you're now looking at an 840 they're probably not your cup of tea at all.

Given that the F8Xs have very little sound-deadening, a solid mounted rear subframe - no bushes - so you feel every nuance of the road, and are generally quite 'hooligan' in their demeanour, you might well prefer the 8. There were some amazing lease deals on those a few months back. Given the economy and slow sales you might get a great deal on one.

[FlyingPanda]

I suspect you're probably right Porkinsider - one of the (few) downsides with the socially-distanced hand over and non-accompanied test drives is that I was going in a bit blind in terms of settings etc, although I had watched a few YouTube vids so thought had some idea what I was doing (but who knows?!)

Part of my long term plan is to sell my Chimaera 450 (which I use for overseas tours) and 530d (which I use for work) and have one car to do both jobs. In a way the M4 looked perfect, but in practice perhaps not. I think you're right though, maybe the time has come for me to admit that I am not the racer I once was, and that 'wafting' is more important than drifting!

Although an M8 looks really tempting...

[cossy400]

FlyingPanda said:

I suspect you're probably right Porkinsider - one of the (few) downsides with the socially-distanced hand over and non-accompanied test drives is that I was going in a bit blind in terms of settings etc, although I had watched a few YouTube vids so thought had some idea what I was doing (but who knows?!)

Part of my long term plan is to sell my Chimaera 450 (which I use for overseas tours) and 530d (which I use for work) and have one car to do both jobs. In a way the M4 looked perfect, but in practice perhaps not. I think you're right though, maybe the time has come for me to admit that I am not the racer I once was, and that 'wafting' is more important than drifting!

Although an M8 looks really tempting...

Re the 840i have you seen the thread in BMW general about the lease deal?

If your local to someone on there you could meet up maybe for an owners view too.

[FlyingPanda]

cossy400 said:

Re the 840i have you seen the thread in BMW general about the lease deal?

If your local to someone on there you could meet up maybe for an owners view too.

Yes, I have but sadly I can't find any deals that even come close to those lease deals. I have emailed the various leasing companies mentioned in the thread but none have come back to me. Good idea about meeting up too, thank you!

[PorkInsider]

FlyingPanda said:

Part of my long term plan is to sell my Chimaera 450 (which I use for overseas tours) and 530d (which I use for work) and have one car to do both jobs. In a way the M4 looked perfect, but in practice perhaps not. I think you're right though, maybe the time has come for me to admit that I am not the racer I once was, and that 'wafting' is more important than drifting!

Although an M8 looks really tempting...

I was sort of in the same boat. I had a 330d and was looking for something for fun alongside that, when I decided an M4 would tick both boxes instead.

I ended up buying the M4 without driving one - well, I'd briefly driven an M3 perhaps 12 months prior - and, although I loved it, a couple of 500 mile round trips on the motorway soon got me wondering whether it was really the right car for that particular job. I ended up buying another daily and using the M4 for shorter trips and general fun.

I'm sure a lot of people daily drive M4s but I suppose it all depends on what you expect from your cars, doesn't it.

[Timbuktu]

I must say I found the Comp Pack seats horrible to sit in compared to the standard seats that are very comfortable.

The Comp Pack seats don't even have lumber support which is ridiculous.

It sounds like you'd be better off with a standard M4.

[rix]

FlyingPanda said:

Just as an update, I drove an M4 Comp Pack yesterday and wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be. There were many excellent elements (the performance and handling being the big ones) but overall it just didn't really gel for me. I might be getting old, but I found the seats and ride fairly uncomfortable, and when on part throttle tricking through the town centre traffic it was all a bit unhappy - the throttle response was fabulous if going for it but not so great if you weren't. The sound of it was a mixed bag too - sometimes fabulous, other times a bit Frankie & Benny's Car park on a Saturday night.

I also felt the interior seemed a bit dated and not befitting a £50k+ car (especially noticeable compared with my 2017 530d). I think overall I'd say I was a bit disappointed - I used to drive the early M3s and loved them, so either I've got older or things have moved on a lot. Probably both.

So, then I had a test in an 840i, and that will probably need to be the subject of a separate thread...

Interesting post, I drove a m4, non comp convertible manual a couple of years ago (I love a convertible!) but equally just didn't gel with it and it didn't feel as special as I hoped, and it's weightiness felt quite old school and hefty - may well have been a convertible trait to be fair. I ended up in a m240i (convertible) for a bit which I thought would suit my needs but it was unresolved and a compromise too far. Then made a snap decision to get in one of the lease 840i deals and so far, could not be happier. It has more pace than you'd think likely, and to me bizarrely feels quite 'chuckable' despite its titanic proportions.

I think the appeal is also enhanced by the interior, which feels modern and quite special, especially compared to those previous cars - I hadn't quite realised how fickle I obviously am! I have coupled the 840i with a E85 Z4 which satisfies the NA manual roof down requirements!

[GP87]

Timbuktu said:

I must say I found the Comp Pack seats horrible to sit in compared to the standard seats that are very comfortable.

The Comp Pack seats don't even have lumber support which is ridiculous.

It sounds like you'd be better off with a standard M4.

Haha I completely share your sentiment - and I'm a 33 year old male!

[Jabba1977]

Oddly, I’m the complete opposite. I find the Comp seats the most comfortable and supportive of any car I have had

I do an 85 mile commute every day and never have so much as a twinge. Different strokes for different folks and all that.

[GP87]

Jabba1977 said:

Oddly, I’m the complete opposite. I find the Comp seats the most comfortable and supportive of any car I have had

I do an 85 mile commute every day and never have so much as a twinge. Different strokes for different folks and all that.

To be honest, it's probably one of those things that once you've had it, you think you can't live without. I'm sure BMW put a lot of thought into the Comp Pack seats to make them equally as comfortable.

[as7920]

Having just sold my 2018 M2 LCI (and desperately wanting the M4 seats) and having swapped to an M3 Competition Package, I'm hoping I just need to tweak the seat settings to get the right level of comfort.

I'm finding the seat base and lack of lumbar support the most problematic so far. Funny as I wouldnt have spec-ed the lumbar support anyway it just came with the M2.

[anonymous-user]

I had an M3 CP for over a year. Did lots of longs trips in it. I'm 41. To be fair, despite being an old git, I don't mind firm suspension, so didn't find the ride too harsh. Drove to Spa from Yorkshire a couple of times via Dover. Loved it. I got on brilliantly with the seats, possibly the best I've had for long distances (previously did 70k miles a year for years, had Recaros in other cars etc.).

Suppose I'd rather have full attack on call and 'suffer' stiffness than have a soft car that couldn't do full attack. Purely personal preference.