2022 BMW M3 Competition G80 v 2022 M4 Competition G82

There’s been plenty of criticism of the styling of the latest M3 and M4 but how do we feel about the cars one year on from when they were officially revealed? Words: Bob Harper Photography: Jason Dodd.

A Rock & A Hard Place

Has the G80 M3 and G82 M4 grown on the naysayers yet? Perhaps it’s time we found out...

BMW is no stranger to controversy and its past is littered with examples of both production and concept cars that have garnered more than their fair share of criticism and derision. There seems to be a misconception that this is something of a recent phenomenon, but it’s been ongoing for quite some time now. When the 2.0-litre version of the Neue Klasse was launched it was criticised for its rectangular headlights and back in the early ‘90s there was a certain amount of uproar when the E36 3 Series arrived with its more curvaceous body and headlights behind a glass cover. Then there was the E38 7 Series that was initially lambasted for looking far too much like the E32 that preceded it…

When the company went the other way and launched the avantgarde E65 7 Series you’d have thought the world had ended and there was derision in almost equal amounts directed at its lugubrious looks and the ground-breaking iDrive system. The E60 5 Series didn’t receive universal praise when it hit the streets back in 2003 and the E63 6 Series had its fair share of detractors too. Perhaps the bottom line is that people don’t like change but for a car manufacturer like BMW that is on a seven-year model cycle this can be a bit of a problem.

While some enthusiasts would seemingly be happy for BMW to constantly regurgitate the E46 3 Series, E39 5 Series and E38 7 Series for each new model cycle it’s safe to say that if it did BMW would be firmly at the bottom of the sales charts. It needs to come up with fresh new designs that can immediately be identified by your average buyer as a BMW but are different enough from the old model to appeal to those who want the next great thing.

Of late BMW has once again been receiving a lot of stick for its latest design language – Bangle’s ‘Flame Surfacing’ has moved on to Flame Grilling and the size of BMW’s kidneys have come in for a lot of stick, both in the press and amongst enthusiasts. And this is exhibited quite clearly by the new M3 and M4 which were unveiled to the world this time last year. It was quite clear from the disguised spy shots that the iconic M cars would be sporting a brave now look but even so, there was plenty of internet chatter when the official images were revealed.

But how do we feel about the dynamic duo 12 months on? Have we warmed to their new faces, or are we still feeling a bit underwhelmed? To be honest, it wasn’t just their visages that were criticised, many commentators seemed to be ready to find fault with the cars for other reasons too – ‘they’re too big’, ‘why so heavy?’ and ‘where’s the manual?’ being typical comments. But as is often the way once the cars were launched there were far more positive comments directed at the M3 and M4.

The ingredients were certainly there with both cars featuring the S58 twin-turbo straight-six that in Competition tune (the only version available to UK buyers) packs a mighty 510hp and a massive 479lb ft of torque. Enough for a 3.9-second 0-62mph time and an equally stunning 50-75mph time (in fourth gear) of just 2.6-seconds – that’s a mightily flexible engine. And bear in mind those are the figures for the rear-wheel drive version, the M xDrive examples shave half a second off that 0-62mph time.

When the previous generation F80 M3 and F82 M4 were launched back in 2014, admittedly in non-competition form, they had 79 less horsepower and 74lb ft less torque to play with and even if they were up to 88kg lighter (when equipped with the DSG gearbox). They couldn’t hold a candle to the new kids on the block though, taking almost a second longer to knock off that 50-75mph increment.

As you’d expect there were a plethora of changes under the skin for the new generation of M cars with an eight-speed auto replacing the older DSG transmission that featured in the F80/2 generation. The new cars had longer wheelbases, wider tracks, stiffer bodies and improved aerodynamics. Electronically adjustable dampers feature along with 380mm front discs clamped by six-piston callipers while the traction control features a possibly too complicated ten different settings. A plethora of different settings for most of the car’s features can be programmed into the steering wheel-mounted M1 and M2 buttons which does simplify the complex nature of the cars. There are four new colours to choose from for the G8x generation – Sao Paulo Yellow, Skyscraper Grey, Isle of Man Green and Brooklyn Grey and the level of standard equipment is huge. There are six main option packs to choose from – Comfort, M Carbon, Visibility, Technology Plus, M Pro and Ultimate – and it’s now possible to spec an M4 up to the £90k mark, leading quite a few commentators to say that the new M3 and M4 are now occupying the territory that was the preserve of the M5 a scant couple of years ago.But no matter how well the new M3 and M4 were equipped both in their mechanical makeups and in their impressive list of standard equipment It was still the way they looked that was the hot topic of conversation. Jeff Heywood, Vice President of the BMW Car Club and dyed-in-the-wool BMW fan summed up his feelings when the official pictures were first revealed; “I was in shock. Sure, there had been plenty of ‘artist impression’ type images of what people thought the new grilles were going to look like, fuelled by a never-ending flow of spy photos. Even so, the very first photos made the ‘cringeometer’ in the pit of my stomach fly off the scale! Just what were BMW thinking of? Reactions elsewhere were equally as horrified. Being a dyed-in-the-wool BMW person, I admit to sticking my head above the parapet and posting something along the lines of ‘The grilles aren’t as noticeable on the green M3 press car’ and ‘we’ll soon all get used to them after all this furore has calmed down’ and while one or two agreed the vast majority were aghast at the thought that someone actually thought they looked okay.”

However, like the E65 Seven et al, most of the motoring press seems to have rapidly moved on from talking about the styling a soon as they drove the cars. There have been some gripes about the automatic gearbox perhaps not being quite as sharp as the DSG was, particularly on down changes, but apart from that both the M3 and M4 have received rave reviews, and once you’ve experienced the cars from behind the wheel you can see why.

The engine really is exceptional with the wonderfully responsive feel to the throttle pedal that you don’t always get with a turbocharged unit and it revs freely, too, singing all the way to its 7200rpm limit. The body control is excellent and the ride is impressively supple if you avoid the sportier settings and despite being an electric set up the steering feels responsive, too. Yes, it might be big, yes, it might be heavy, but on the road it really doesn’t feel it.

But what does a lucky new owner think? We spoke to Steve Smee, the owner of the M3 you can see in the pictures here and unsurprisingly he’s delighted with his new car as he relates; “I think I was the first person to get a new M3 from Barretts BMW in Canterbury, I put a deposit down about 15 months before, so I picked mine up in April this year, and at the same time I put a deposit down for the M3 Touring which is due out next year.

“I like the idea of the four-wheel drive version but I was a little impatient so I’ve got the rear-wheel drive M3 to start with, but the M3 Touring will have the M xDrive. I’ve been in Audis for many years and have appreciated the additional security the four-wheel drive gives you – the M3’s been fine on dry roads so far, but I know that when it gets a bit damp it’ll be lighting up the traction control light the whole time!”

Not only does Steve revel in the car’s performance he’s also very happy with the build quality of the car, reckoning it’s superior to his Audis that came before it. Steve opted for the four-door M3 as he needs the additional practicality that the saloon has but also reckons it’s a better-looking car. “Personally, I prefer the way the M3 looks.

The M4 has too much panel behind the doors and on the M3 you get the stepped rear wheel arch which looks great, too.” But what about those controversial kidney grilles? Steve continues; “As it was coming out you obviously see all the photos in the magazines and none of them had a number plate on them, but as soon as you put the plate on it looks immeasurably better. It’s grown on me. It’s certainly different, there’s no mistaking it for something else, and I like that individuality. Give it a year and I think everyone will have forgotten about it and as the years move on I think everyone will love it. Styles change and people like different things, so ultimately I don’t think the looks are an issue. Once you’ve driven one the styling is immaterial – it’s such a great car to drive and hides its weight well.”And that view is borne out by the motoring magazines – the way the M3 and M4 look has certainly taken a back seat once their performance and handling have been thoroughly sampled. Perhaps the styling furore will go away, or perhaps it’ll continue to be an issue? If we return to Jeff Heywood’s take on the cars he’s not sure which way the cookie will crumble; “Despite my positive initial comments the grilles jarred at launch and they still jar with me now. Which is a great shame. Look beyond the grilles and what you find is a fantastic driver’s car. But is that enough? I’m not so sure. BMW’s sales figures will be the ultimate barometer when the last of the G80/2 models roll off the production line. But my gut feeling as well as among some other petrolheads I talk to is that the controversy caused by the grilles isn’t going to go away. What matters most (especially to BMW) is will it affect sales? If it doesn’t, BMW will be vindicated for being brave, but if it does it will leave the company with egg on its face – only time will tell…”

And Jeff has pretty much hit the nail on the head there – if sales are affected the change in styling direction will be seen as a mistake, but BMW’s form in this department is pretty good. The E65 sold well, beating the supposedly better looking E38 in the sales charts while its controversial iDrive is still in use today, admittedly in a heavily refined form. The E60 5 Series matched the E39 for sales and the E63 generation of 6 Series sold 30,000 more examples than the original Six, despite being on sale for half the amount of time.

Yes, the new nose treatment on the G8x generation of M3 and M4 is controversial but the more we see them on the road, the more we’re becoming accustomed to them – perhaps not a ringing endorsement, but they certainly have presence. Ultimately, we think Steve’s view will be the prevailing one – they’re fantastic cars and as styling trends change over the coming years these will still go down in history as one of the last of the great combustion-engined M cars.

THANKS Steve Smee for the loan of his G80 M3, and Barretts BMW Canterbury for the loan of the G82 M4.

Tel: 01227 828888

Web: www.barrettscanterburybmw.co.uk

Bangle’s ‘Flame Surfacing’ has moved on to Flame Grilling G80 M3 / G82 M4 Competition

2022 BMW M3 Competition G80 v 2022 M4 Competition G82

• Engine: S58 six-cylinder, twin-turbo S58 six-cylinder, twin-turbo
• Capacity: 2993cc / 2993cc
• Max power: 510bhp @ 6250rpm / 510bhp @ 6250rpm
• Max torque: 479lb ft @ 2750-5500rpm / 479lb ft @ 2750-5500rpm
• 0-62mph: 3.9-seconds 3.9-seconds
• 50-75mph: 2.6-seconds 2.6-seconds
• Top speed: 155mph 155mph
• Economy: 28.8mpg 28.8mpg
• Emissions: 224g/km 223/km
• Weight (EU): 1805kg 1800kg
• Price: £74,815 £76,115