The new M3 and M4 Competition really are the gifts that keep on giving for BMW cynics. First there was the grille, then there was the weight, then there was the price - plenty for die-hard fans to complain about. Now, however, there's something for all to cheer about - it's ruddy fast around a track.
Not just any track, either, but the Nurburgring. Where else to prove M car credentials? This isn't a carefully constructed manufacturer lap, either, but a sportauto supertest. While record claims are more closely monitored than ever before, the laps from Germany's preeminent mag are a great base for comparison, with the same driver used and, usually, similar conditions as well. With BMW having not issued a time yet, this lap becomes all the more interesting.
The time? Sure you want to know? Last chance to look away... It's 7:30.79, which is obscenely fast for such a notoriously chubby car. It was running the optional Cup 2 tyres, but still - 7:30 for a road car with only a mild track bent is quite the achievement. As a point of reference, the old BMW M4 GTS - the ultimate derivative of that generation - recorded a 7:28 in BMW's hands, with similar power but a significant 200kg fewer to lug around as well. Interestingly, it's just 1.2 seconds slower than sportauto achieved with the M5 CS recently, 23 seconds ahead of an Alpina B3 and way in front of the old AMG C63 S, which set a 7:44. What might the faster versions of this M4 do?
The time is easier to understand watching the lap through. As on the road, short gear ratios mean acceleration is fierce, the traction is really good, and the front end doesn't seem to know what understeer is. Of course it isn't perfect - the gearbox can be a tad indecisive, most notably - but there can't have been many banking on a 7:30 from the BMW so many love to hate. Bring on that CS...
