The forthcoming G82 BMW M4 has been spotted again, this time seen running in Sweden for cold-weather testing. Here, the car appears to be in a state of camouflage similar to a previous sighting, which means that the much-anticipated front grille is still hidden under disguise, its new face previewed by the Concept 4.
By extension, versions of the mainstream G22/23 4 Series coupe and convertible also still have their grilles concealed, so time will tell. As for this fixed-roof M car, its heightened performance positioning along the family tree can be identified from its wider bodywork to house wider track widths front and rear.
Additional M design cues include the ‘gills’ just aft of the front wheel arches, while the front bumper will house the requisite enlarged air intakes compared to the mainstream 4 Series bodywork. Further along, the development unit here wears a conventional sunroof, though as with the previous generation model, a carbon-fibre item can be specified in the interests of weight-saving. At the back, a more aggressive bumper houses quad exhaust outlets to denote the M model.
The G82 M4 and its mechanical twin, the four-door G80 M3 will share the S58 biturbo inline-six engine which produce 480 hp and 510 hp in standard and Competition guises respectively, in the X3 M and X4 M SUVs. Similarly, the G82 M4 (and the G80 M3) will be offered in two states of tune, and the 480 hp version will be pitched as the ‘purer’ version with rear-wheel-drive and manual transmission.
The Competition-spec M4 will get the 510 hp engine along with and eight-speed automatic gearbox and an AWD system that is said to be very similar to the one in the F90 M5, which can fully direct drive to the rear axle. As with present-day M cars, the Competition versions of the M4 and M3 can be expected to feature unique interior and exterior trim when they debut.
It is still early days as the G82 M4 has yet to even debut, which means there is plenty of time for special editions and even more hardcore CS and GTS versions to make their respective appearances in due time. Until then, we can expect more of the G82 M4 – and its G80 M3 sibling – to surface in the coming months.
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