Apparently there are people out there who think the new BMW M3 and M4 lack a bit of presence. In a bid to appease them, the manufacturer has launched its M Performance Parts catalogue from the off, giving buyers the option to enhance their new M car across the board, including decals, aero pieces and even a reworked rear bumper to their 510hp G80/G82. Rest assured, those additions are as divisive as the cars themselves.
The actual performance hardware is likely to meet universal approval. Like the titanium M Performance silencer system, which is 5kg lighter than the standard system despite the inclusion of a flap, and can either quieten or free-up the straight-six’s tone, depending on the drive mode. It comes with ceramic-coated tailpipes. Then there’s M Performance coilover suspension, which can lower the car by 5-20mm, and long-distance brake pads, said to be capable of hard track work. Sounds good.
It’s in the design department that BMW’s catalogue may (again) divide opinion, because the M3/M4 can be specced with a number of features intended to 'enhance' the look. Whether or not you’re fond of the styling will likely affect whether you like the additions. Take for example, the rear bumper lower section, which re-orders the tailpipes and surrounds them with a carbon fibre panel, which sort of looks like a filled in diffuser. Or the rear wing with its rectangular end plates.
More conventional is the offer of a carbon splitter on the front bumper, side skirts and forged wheels in up to 21-inch diameters. The normal M Performance rims are Y-spoke 963Ms finished in Frozen Gunmetal Grey, available in 19-inch front and 20-inch rear diameters. The 963M design and offset is said to enhance lateral stability and reduce drag at speed. Above them, the catalogue includes cross-spoke 1000M wheels in Gold Bronze matt or Jet-Black matt. They’re an inch larger on both axles and promise similar performance gains.
Naturally, there’s a whole selection of additions offered for inside, including an M Performance Pro steering wheel that comes wrapped in Alcantara. Those wanting the most tactile use of the eight-speed auto can option in M Performance carbon shift paddles, which are covered with an open-pored carbon fabric instead of the standard chrome surface. Additionally, the rest or the cabin can be finished with more Alcantara trim, carbon panels and contrasting stitching designs. Floor mats, the doorsill and even knee pads can be swapped to M Performance versions, with a whole load of customisation thrown in for good measure.
One of the most practical offerings of the lot is a set of snow-chain-compatible 19-inch double spoke wheels, finished in matt black and wrapped in winter tyres. That’s no doubt going to be a handy addition to the garage of those who live in regions with cold winter weather, as will, we suspect, the offer of optional tyre bags to store them in. Adding to that is an indoor car cover for those who’d prefer to leave their M3/M4 parked in the garage during the winter’s worst can do so knowing it’ll be spotless next time they uncover it. Or those who simply prefer to tuck their BMW in each night.
1 / 15