Coupe endowed with hardtop mechanicals
It seems a bit weird to want to drive a convertible endowed with the same mechanicals as its hardtop coupé sibling.
Still, with the two ‘devil’ buttons perched within thumb range on either side of the steering column that seems to endlessly cry out ‘press me, press me’, like the Sirens of old, it is hard not to heed their cry.
They are individually programmable by the driver, so there can be two levels of Sport mode, the fairly mild to full-on race. Whatever the settings, pressing either of those buttons is when the magic starts to happen. The car instantly adjusts gearing, suspension, steering and attitude to provide just the adrenalin level you choose.
What is impressive is that in Sport+ mode and hammering it on a twisty road is the high level of body rigidity embedded in the car, with almost none of the scuttle shake often associated with performance convertibles.
And this is a fast car – running the 0-100 km/h in 3,9 seconds, with top speed limited to 280 km/h and driving through an 8-speed automatic gearbox that handles changes swiftly and efficiently. Naturally, the racier modes allow full use of the paddle shifters.
Multifunction steering wheel
Using the latest version of the company’s M TwinPower Turbo technology, the engine stands out with its sustained linear power delivery into the upper echelons of the engine speed range. It generates peak torque of 650 Nm between 2 750 r/min and 5 500 r/min, while maximum output is reached at 5 510 r/min and then maintained up to the 7 200 r/min red lines.
To give this some perspective, the BMW plays in the same sandpit as the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet and Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet, the latter a V8 with a 4,0-litre engine compared to the inline six and Boxer six of the other two.
Performance is pretty much on par with the Mercedes quickest at 290 km/h, ahead of the Porsche at 289 km/h and the BMW at 280 km/h. Acceleration to 100 km/h belongs to the BMW, 0,2 seconds faster than the Mercedes and 0,5 seconds up on the Porsche.
In the case of the BMW, an improvement comes with the retractable soft top being some 40% lighter than the predecessor car’s retractable hardtop – and it takes just 18 seconds to make the conversion, which can be executable in motion.
M4 Coupe with adequate space for pasasngers
The slim headlights use LED units as standard to generate both low and high beams, but Adaptive LED headlights with BMW Laserlight can be ordered as an option.
A model-specific feature for the convertible is the package of torsion struts at the rear of the body.
A bespoke version of the double-joint spring strut front axle also factors in the demands connected with all-wheel drive, featuring specially adapted axle geometry and an individually tuned steering ratio.
Also on the standard equipment roster are forged M light-alloy wheels measuring 19-inches in diameter at the front axle and 20-inches at the rear.
Stopping the beast in ‘angry’ mode relies on two brake pedal feel settings and 10 traction control stages.
The ultimate attention-grabber
The integrated braking system initiates the required brake pressure exceptionally quickly and precisely using an electric actuator - both the standard M Compound brakes and the optional M Carbon ceramic brakes link up with the system.
Also available as an option is the M Race Track Package, which reduces weight by around 25 kilograms. It includes M Carbon ceramic brakes, weight-minimised M light-alloy wheels (available as an option with semi-slick tyres) and the M Carbon bucket seats.
Standard equipment includes three-zone automatic climate control, LED interior lighting with ambient lighting and a hi-fi speaker system with the BMW Live Cockpit Professional with a fully digital display grouping, the cloud-based navigation system BMW Maps and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
While it is hard to resist those ‘devil’ buttons, driving responsibly on a day-to-day basis in traffic and some highway time, the BMW is not as thirsty as one might imagine. The average fuel consumption for the test cycle was 10,6 l/100 km – and, naturally, succumbing to the call sees consumption race upwards quicker than the rev counter.
Forever rigid and steady on the road
As I said, a car with a split personality, both of which are lovable.
