This was somewhat inevitable really, wasn’t it? Take a car as eagerly anticipated as the upcoming BMW M3 and M4, add in the pressure cooker of excitement that Covid has helped along and the prominence of social media and a leak was pretty much guaranteed. Or rather, it would have been more of a surprise if it hadn’t happened. Because it always does.
So here we are, then, a four-door G80 M3 and two-door G82 M4 in production specification for the very first time. And no, there wasn’t some drastic change of heart at the 11thhour: the grille has remained, there for all to see on both saloon and coupe. Perhaps it works better here than in a regular 3 and 4 Series thanks to the extra drama of an M car front end - see the bonnet nostrils and huge scoop of a splitter - though it looks to remain a contentious point for a while. There will certainly be no danger of mistaking these for a 320d or 420d this time around, at least…
The wheels are clearly a different design to those that have been seen on recent M cars, and these colours - presumably the launch ones - are new as well. The green (with tan leather) may well appeal to the purists on the M3, as well as those who like Alfa Romeo's Montreal Green, while the yellow M4 is certainly going to pop on Instagram. The exact colour names are yet to be confirmed.
As with the previous F80 and F82, more noticeable in the M3 rather than the M4 are the chunky rear arches, the additional track with bringing some real attitude to the aesthetic. Note in both an enormous quad of exhausts as well, surely larger than we’ve seen before, as well as carbon for diffuser, spoiler and roof.
Only one interior peak has snuck out, showing electrically adjustable bucket seats and the most amazing colour combo you ever did see - fabrics redolent of both the old Phoenix Yellow and Laguna Seca Blue are there. In one cabin. Otherwise it’s as you might expect, with a strong M8 influence to the dash and displays.
Without any more official info, that’s about all that can be said for now on the new M3 and M4. Really, though, the look was almost the final part of the jigsaw, with very little else needing to be confirmed about 2020’s most exciting performance cars - there’s more to follow, of course, but not much. So, what do you think? Do these pics allay your fears, or confirm suspicions? Are you fit to burst with excitement, or anxiously biting at fingernails? Certainly, it’s hard to imagine an M car debut set to be as divisive as this one. There’s not long to wait now, honest…
