BMW unveils the 2022 BMW M3 and M4 Competition xDrive.

The launch of new BMW M-cars was always the talk of the town, as these were the new yardsticks for other cars to be measured against. However, the talk of the town got louder with the announcement of G8X series M3 and M4 models, as they were the first of their breed to receive an all-wheel-drive layout.

The all-wheel-drive layout also meant that the new G8X M3 and M4 models will become a lot quicker, especially from standstill acceleration tests, but the all-wheel-drive system also carries more weight and robs the “Fun” from the car. This quickly became a topic for argument amongst the fans.

Despite everyone’s enthusiasm to try the first-ever all-wheel-drive equipped M3/M4, BMW launched the standard M3 and M4 models along with their sharper competition variants.

Despite the standard rear-wheel-drive setup, the new BMW M3 and M4 models were noticeably quicker than their predecessors, thanks to more potent 3.0-litre turbocharged Inline-6 engines. The new engine in the standard model produces 473hp and 550 Nm of torque, whereas the engine in the Competition variant pumps out even healthier 503hp and 650Nm of torque.

The resulting performance gains are commendable with 0-60mph coming in just 3.8 seconds in the more powerful Competition version, while the standard version can complete the same feat in 4.1 seconds.

That being said, the new G8X series M3 and M4 were also a lot heavier than the models it was replacing, paving way for doubts regarding the capability of the new M3 and M4around a racetrack. This question was quickly put to rest as automotive journalists around the world tested the new M3 and M4 models in racetracks and were quite shocked with the ability of the new M3 and M4 to hide their mass.

This ability of new M3 and M4 ignited the curiosity of car fanatics around the globe regarding the capability of all-wheel drive equipped BMW M3s and M4s.

Well, it’s time to give a break to curiosity as BMW unveils the new BMW M3 and M4 Competition xDrive variants.

The headline is a 0-60mph time of just 3.4 seconds and it comes only as a Competition variant. At $76,900 for the M3 Competition xDrive and $78,800 for the M4 Competition xDrive, the new all-wheel-drive variants are $4,100 more expensive; That’s more than $1000/0.1 second of performance gain?

Not actually, BMW has done a few more proper engineering stuff(Witchcraft in simple English). For starters, there is a beefier oil system which BMW claims to have been redesigned to handle the additional traction and resulting performance, few suspension geometry tweaks, a quicker 14.6:1 steering ratio to aid traction-friendly all-wheel-drive setup etc.

Despite the above mechanical revisions, BMW has not fiddled with the engine and it puts out identical power and torque figures to its rear-wheel-drive cousin. Both the M3 and M4 Competition xDrive also use the same 8-speed automatic torque converter gearbox.

BMW also claims that their new BMW M3 and M4 Competition xDrive come with a new rear-biased setup and comes with 3-modes, of which one is a pure rear-wheel-drive mode christened as ‘2WD’. The all-wheel-drive modes are ‘4WD’ and ‘4WD Sport’, wherein both the modes, the front axle receives the power only when it is deemed necessary. The difference lies, as the latter is set up for more rear-biased torque delivery.

The new BMW M3 and M4 Competition xDrive also come with 19-inch(front) and 20-inch(rear) alloy wheels as standard. Enthusiasts can even opt for the M Performance Pack to increase the top speed from 250kph to an Autobahn-friendly 290kph.

What we think.

We have already seen how the new M3s and M4s overperform during individual test runs, now we just have to wait a little longer to see how much better the new xDrive variants perform.

 

Athul Z

Content Creator, MYTYRE.