BMW M4 Review 2025

Few people are unaware of what BMW’s M label signifies as the roaring trade in aftermarket — and rip-off — badges ably demonstrates. Core to the M Division’s portfolio is a range of high performance coupes, the latest generation of which exemplifies the German brand’s ability to take an already appealing car and turn up the wick to significantly boost performance and desirability as we explore in our full BMW M4 review.

In order to amplify the M4’s exclusivity — and create a pricing and performance chasm between it and the regular BMW 4 Series Coupe models — the entry-level version with only 480PS wasn’t offered in the UK when orders opened in November 2020.

Starting point for British buyers was the BMW M4 Competition, initially with 510PS but uprated to 530PS as part of the facelift in early 2024. Rear-wheel drive versions were deleted from UK price lists at the time of the facelift, leaving the clumsily titled M xDrive — M Divisionspeak for all-wheel drive — as the standard format.

Not one to miss an opportunity to up the ante further, BMW has also released a couple of limited edition versions with more purposeful bodykits and power from the 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine uprated to 550PS. With a focus on being exploitable on racing circuits, 2022’s BMW M4 CSL was rear-wheel drive, while the similar looking BMW M4 CS of 2024 has all-wheel drive and remains biased towards road driving.

With dwindling numbers of genuine alternatives, the BMW M4 now has no four-seater coupe-bodied rivals that offer a similar degree of performance for around the same money. Today’s Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe is pegged at 449PS while the Porsche 911 Coupe is pricier and less practical by dint of being a proper sports car.

So what of the svelte Audi RS 5 Coupe, the leftfield Lexus RC F and the bellowing Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe? They’re no longer available. You can still get a similar degree of grunt with the four-door saloon-shaped Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, but that will also become a pre-owned-only choice in early 2026.

Being based on the regular 4 Series Coupe means that the BMW M4 has plenty of positive attributes even before one considers how it drives. The interior is one of the best BMW offers, with plenty of high quality materials and an appealing design, switching to an ultra-wide twin-screen arrangement as part of the 2024 facelift.

It also remains a four-seater — apart from the in the BMW M4 CSL where they were ditched to save weight — and while they’re not the most generous space-wise there’s enough room for kids, or adults on shorter journeys. The boot is also decently capacious making it the ideal car for a quick weekend getaway.

Where the BMW M4 divides opinion is with its exterior styling. As with the BMW M3, the donor model’s conventional interpretation of the corporate grille has been replaced by a pair of enormous nostrils. It fits with the aggressive aesthetics elsewhere, such as the pumped-up wheelarches, large-diameter alloy wheels and a substantial bodykit, but subtle it ain’t — even in paint options that aren’t on the lurid scale.

As you might expect from such a car, straight line performance is relentless. Even the slowest-accelerating of this-generation BMW M4 squirted from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds — while that sound brutal, the smoothness of the engine combined with the slick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox means it is remarkably fast but not uncouth.

The BMW M4 also allows the driver to change the responsiveness of a wide number of elements, many more than most rivals do, so you can make it as comfortable as possible for daily use but also tailor the key elements to suit your preferences. That means that when you do get the opportunity to use the performance it can be set-up perfectly for the conditions, even to the extremes of disengaging drive to the front wheels on M xDrive-equipped versions.

The BMW M4 isn’t a cheap car — today it’s starting price is more than slightly north of £90k — but assuming that isn’t an issue, it manages the impressive feat of being as fast and fun as you could possibly need on the public road while still being sufficiently comfortable and usable to be a genuine everyday proposition.

Despite the headline performance figures, there’s enough adjustability and comfort to make the BMW M4 capable of daily use or for plying long journeys without becoming tiring or uncomfortable.

Of course, with giant 20-inch rear wheels it is notably firmer than the standard 4 Series Coupe but switch to Comfort mode and the suspension, steering, engine and brakes are in their most compliant settings. Its figure-hugging sports seats ensure the ride quality is more than acceptably comfortable, even if it will occasionally jolt over larger potholes.

However, it’s when the road opens up a little that the BMW M4 really comes into its own. The more aggressive driving mode settings add weight to the steering, which is quick and responsive but not nervous, while the stiffened up suspension means it feels more tightly tied down to the road surface.

The amount of grip is remarkable — so high in fact that at times it can feel like reaching the limit of the tyres adhesion is impossible on public roads. It’s a shame, then, that the more playful rear-wheel drive versions of the M4 ceased to be sold from the 2024 makeover.

Central to the BMW M4’s appeal is its six-cylinder, 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol engine which has its grunt metered-out via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

BMW elected not to sell the ‘standard’ 480PS version of this generation of M4 in the UK, making the M4 Competition the entry point to the range. Until the 2024 facelift it produced 510PS and 650Nm of torque — the latter figure common across all versions of the M4. With rear-wheel drive the M4 Competition required 3.9 seconds to dart from a standstill to 62mph, while the addition of M xDrive all-wheel drive pared that down to 3.5 seconds.

Top speed is electronically governed at 155mph but can be elevated to 180mph with the optional M Driver’s Pack. Following the 2024 facelift, power for the BMW M4 Competition M xDrive increased to 530PS, with all other figures remaining unchanged. Rear-wheel drive availability ceased at this point.

Two limited availability versions of the M4 have also been produced, each with power increased to 550PS and the M Driver’s Pack included as standard. First to arrive in 2022 was the BMW M4 CSL with rear-wheel drive. This version was track-focused yet remained fully road-legal. It could scorch from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 191mph.

Shortly after the 2024 facelift the BMW M4 CS was launched. It looked similar to the CSL but was designed to be more pliant on roads, hence it being fitted with the M xDrive system. That additional traction makes it the quickest accelerating M4 to date with a benchmark 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds.

Recognising that not all M4 drivers want to go everywhere at ten tenths, BMW has ensured each can be driven in a docile manner when desired. With everything switched to their tamest settings and leaving the gearbox in Drive, and it will cruise comfortably with little noise from the engine.

Turn up everything up however and the acceleration is instant and relentless, helped by the M xDrive’s superior. Manually flicking through the gear ratios, it’s easy to run out of road in a matter of seconds, with both strong torque at low revs and the ability to rev high and punch hard at the top end.

Such is the performance on offer but not at the expense of its usability — it’s unlikely any driver could want for more power or torque on public roads. The only thing that could be criticised is the engine noise, which seems slightly synthetic and lacks the kind of sweetness that you might hope for from a large-capacity straight-six.

Euro NCAP hasn’t rated the BMW M4 specifically but it has crash-tested the 4 Series Coupe in 2019 where it achieved a five-star rating.

It is worth bearing in mind that the Euro NCAP tests have changed since then to become more stringent, but 4 Series scored a very impressive 97% for adult occupant protection, 83% for child occupant protection, 93% for vulnerable road user mitigation and 72% for safety assist. It’s unlikely that M4 versions would deviate far away from those scores.

Choosing a two-door coupe usually means a degree of compromise in terms of practicality, so unless you regularly plan to carry four adults and a ton of luggage the BMW M4 should have more than enough space to suit.

Of course, should you wish to enjoy the M4’s performance but insist on having more space for passengers and their luggage, the sales executives in the local BMW showroom will gladly direct you towards the closely related M3 Saloon and M3 Touring alternatives.

Up front there is more than enough space for taller adults with generous head and legroom. As standard the M4 comes with very supportive bucket seats, which take up more space than the regular 4 Series’ chairs do, but not detrimentally so.

Where they do create limitations is for those in the rear — both while sat there as well as accessing the seats. The room on offer is fine for children and nimble, petite adults but might not be suitable for the less mobile or those of larger stature — those six foot or over are likely to find headroom in the back’s lacking.

This is far less of a concern with the limited availability BMW M4 CSL from 2022 as it was devoid of rear seats as a weight-saving measure.

Boot space is a useful 440 litres, although the aperture is relatively narrow, making soft bags the luggage of choice over solid suitcases.

A few moments inside the BMW M4 confirms that the firm still knows how to produce a high quality interior. Given the purchase price it’s a welcome discovery all the same.

Sharing the same fundamental dashboard layout as other 4 Series models, the M4 similarly switched to a more minimalist design as part of its 2024 makeover. Dominated by twin screens as is common on many modern cars, the quality of the materials is very high.

There are also a number of unique touches to remind you that this is a BMW M car rather than a regular 4 Series, with genuine performance on tap.

A wide choice of interior colours is also available to choose from, so you can step away from the typical dark grey if you fancy something more tuned to your tastes.

As standard the BMW M4 comes with a comprehensive infotainment specification, which includes a 14.9-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. DAB radio, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, integrated navigation and a head-up display are also part of the package.

Usefully it also includes a rotary trackpad that can be used to control many functions without having to touch the screen itself, which is often the easier option on the move. BMW now also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto without a subscription fee, which is a welcome improvement.

The system itself works very well, an especially good thing given how many functions of the M4 can be altered compared with the regular 4 Series, but BMW provides default settings as well as the option to create your own custom setups to suit your driving style.

While the digital instrument display can look crowded with information but the display changes if you select one of the more aggressive drive modes which cuts down on the distractions.

With the rear-wheel drive version no longer available to buy new, the range currently starts with the BMW M4 Competition xDrive priced at £91,325 (as of April 2025). Adding the optional M Driver’s Pack elevates that to £93,500.

Topping the range until its limited production run ends is the more extreme BMW M4 CS which costs £122,685.

Compared with the indirect alternatives mentioned towards the start of this review, the four-door saloon Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is notably cheaper at £86,885. Similarly, the Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe starts at £75,660 although it’s around 18% shy of the M4’s power.

And the Porsche 911 Coupe? A more thrilling driving experience than the BMW, but not by a huge margin, you’ll need upwards of £103,700.

As for used examples, prices start at around £40,000 for the earliest models while there are recent versions in Competition specification with delivery mileage for around £75,000, which is substantial saving over list price.

Expect the running costs for the BMW M4 to be very high and you’ll be less shocked to discover they really are. Insurance group 50 for all versions will be expensive even for low-risk drivers, while the £425 Expensive Car Premium payable in years two to five on top of the usual VED bill isn’t fun.

CO2 emissions of 227-229g/km — and 232g/km for the M4 CS — ensures that this BMW is in the priciest 37% Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax band for company car drivers, making the M4 likely to be a choice only for those who own the company that’s footing the bill.

Official WLTP Combined cycle fuel consumption for the BMW M4 Competition M xDrive is rated at 28.0-28.2mpg, with the M4 CS slightly worse at 27.7mpg. Make use of the performance with regularity and you can expect those numbers to seem fantastical, but used with moderation and with plenty of cruising mixed in, 25mpg is viable.

Two versions of the BMW M4 are currently available — Competition and CS.

Standard equipment for the BMW M4 Competition includes:

• Black and silver alloy wheels, 19-inch at the front, 20-inch to the rear.
• High-gloss Shadowline exterior trims.
• Electrically folding, heated and auto-dimming door mirrors.
• Adaptive LED headlights with automatic main beam.
• Parking Assistant array of sensors and cameras.
• Black Merino leather upholstery.
• Aluminium Rhombical Anthracite M interior trims.
• M Sport front seats with heating, electrical adjustment, lumbar suport and driver’s side memory function.
• M Sport seatbelts.
• Dual-zone automatic climate control.
• Live Cockpit Pro with head-up display.
• DAB radio, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
• Harman/Kardon surround sound audio system.
• Covered wireless smartphone charging pad.
• Cruise control.
• M Adaptive suspension.
• M Drive Professional.
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror.

Additional or replacement equipment found on the BMW M4 CS includes:

• M Carbon exterior package.
• M Brakes with red callipers.
• BMW Laserlights with yellow accents.
• M front end strut brace.
• Carbon fibre interior trim.
• M Alcantara faux suede heated steering wheel.
• M Carbon front bucket seats.
• M Driver’s Pack.