One of the unintended consequences of electric vehicle development is seeing design choices necessary for ICE-powered cars that are no longer needed. Take the front grill. An air intake is a must when you’re relying on internal combustion to power your ride, but is simply vestigial on an EV. This can be seen in the first-gen Tesla Model S, which seemed uncertain as to whether it should have a grill or not. Contrast that with the current design which settles on a logo-inspired frunk-line.
BMW, still firmly grounded in the gas-powered world, are pushing themselves further in the other direction. Styling over the last few years has gone bigger and gape-ier, pushed to exaggerated proportions with the X4. Controversial, to say the least, this design choice sees Beemer’s trademark kidney-grill mated with something that looks like a cheap, aftermarket Pontiac bolt-on.
Yet, determined to go their own way, that same choice has made its way to the newest M3 and M4, ensuring thousands of try-hards and wannabes will convince themselves that it’s Great, Actually. (This isn’t to speak poorly of the M3 or M4 cars themselves. It is a scathing indictment against the kind of people who drive them, though.)
The New M3 & M4 Have a Grill Straight
From an Aftermarket Pontiac Bolt-On
To be ready for the 2021 model year, both cars come standard with a twin-turbo straight-six 3.0l and manual gearbox. Power is a generous 473hp and 406lb-ft of torque. It should be noted that this same engine in the X3 M and X4 M makes 448lb-ft, but what you do with that knowledge is up to you.
Those looking for more power can move up to the Competition package, which increases output to 503hp and 479lb-ft, along with a standard eight-speed automatic for faster, computer-enhanced shifts. AWD will also be an option for this line, available by next summer.
Additional packages add weight-adding features like the M Drift Analyzer and the M Laptimer. Ten selectable driving modes will be available, but only the M Drive Professional Package allows you to fully defeat all the nannies and safety-tech for a purer, track-focused experience.
A convertible option will likely be offered for the M4, but it’s yet to be seen if a Gran Coupe variant will hit the market. This being BMW, anything’s possible.
