Answer to the twin paradox

Marketers are right when they say that true luxury is never affected by a slowdown. Worldwide, the automobile industry is witnessing this phenomenon right now. The biggest car markets in the world are seeing sales sliding sharply and yet luxury cars are posting healthy growth even during these testing times. And there are many more new luxury cars waiting in the wings to break cover from some of the biggest European car makers.

One of last year's biggest introductions was the new generation BMW M3 and its coupe twin the M4. Earlier, till its fourth generation, it was simply the M3 Coupe. This time around both the four-door and the two-door have been introduced simultaneously. BMW's M division has produced some stellar, track-ready cars after picking out many of the German brand's stock vehicles. The M3 has a special place in this line-up and is known to be the young, brash, slightly touched in the head model. From its "you'd better know what you are doing with this car" past, it has mellowed down to become more driveable, capable of making the daily commute that much more exciting.

The new M4, however, looks like the car that must appeal to this audience even more. With strong coupe character, aggressive styling and its own customisation options, the M4 will probably fit into the buyer's lifestyle better.

The M4 is instantly identifiable as a serious sports coupe. Even if the metallic, slightly fluorescent green-yellow of the paint job in our test mule had somehow not caught the eye of other road users, the exposed carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and aluminium parts like the air curtains and rear diffuser reinforce the car’s sporty genes. Sitting low on its 18-inch rims, the M4 has aerodynamics written all over, including its M Gills just behind the front wheel arches, the integrated spoiler lip and its pixie-ear door mirrors. There is more in the M4 which makes it scream that this is not a tricked out version of the 3-Series, but a special sports car. There is the bonnet power bulge or power dome, the heat vents on the side, and of course the double twin exhausts at the rear, in addition to the 'M' badging. Step into the M4 and its obvious that the dashboard and controls layout has been carried over from the 3-Series and 4-Series cars. There are a number of 'M' specific trim elements with black leather and carbon-fibre panels all around the interior of the car. The sports seats in the front and the leather wrapped steering wheel double stitched with M colours are the best features.

The new M3 and M4 coupe marks a return for the M-model to BMW’s trademark in-line six-cylinder engine. Compared to the outgoing M3’s V8, the new, fifth generation of the car features a newly developed twin turbo in-line six that offers about 430hp of peak power and a 40 per cent bump up in peak torque (compared to the previous M3) to 550Nm. It is an unusually high revving unit for a turbo-charged engine, with the red line set at 7,300rpm. Torque is also made avialable through a wide rev band from 1,850 to 5,500 rpm. The top speed is limited to 250kmph and the 0 to 100 kmph sprint can be done in 4.1 seconds.

The M4 features the 7-speed double clutch transmission from the M Division. Into its third generation, the M DCT enables really fast shifts in manual mode. In addition to the Active M Differential and the car’s numerous stability control safety features, the DCT system also opens the clutch when the car is understeering to bring it back on track and offer the driver complete control.

The M4's cabin is a good place to be in because it is quiet enough to appreciate the high-end music system's output, but it also lets you hear enough of the sports exhaust's notes. Its striking, trademark sound is orchestrated by a set of electrically controlled flaps. The different drive modes with preconfigured set-up profiles also affect the exhaust note. The modes - comfort, sport and sport+ - also effect changes to the car's powertrain performance, steering and suspension. 

With extensive light weighting that has made the M4 almost 65 kgs lighter, and with a more powerful, yet efficient engine, it's performance on the road belies its size. Straight-line acceleration is intense and with the engine revs building up quick, there is enough power and torque to work with. With its raft of tech focused on stability, the M4 grips the tarmac like velcro, offering confident cornering abilities. 

Ride quality is predictably stiff and can be a bit jarring at times. However, the specially developed tyres with differing profiles - 255mm front and 275mm rear - offer great grip. The other issue we faced during our test drive of the M4 was its really low ground clearance. Much like the other sports cars in the class, the M4 too tended to scrape over some of the really tall speedbreakers in the city.

If we were to choose between the M3 and the M4, we'd go with the latter. Yes, it gets a lot of driver aids and is more civil than its predecessor, but the two-door is the more stylish, and smarter twin. The M4's ex-showroom price starts at ₹1.2 crore.

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