The Jeremy Clarkson BMW M4 Review

[Audio Fan]

Originally Posted by Damasconian

I agree he likes the car, no doubt about that. But if you had read the review and then the segment from the BBC radio, would you think they were written by the same guy. Again, I have bought one, I didnt come here to knock my own car. But reading the two back to back just doesnt add up.

I would say overall I am not a fan of Clarkson. His style is so obvious (bash, then pivot) and his hatred of all things USA got old a decade ago. But consistency is something we all want in our car reviewers (ie Harris) and Clarkson is all over the place.

This is classic Clarkson. If you aren't a fan, you may not realize that. He's a curmudgeon that pisses and moans for 90% and gets to the point for 10%. I can't help but enjoy his reviews, especially on TV. In short, this is clearly a positive review of the car. He really just knocks off a few points on styling and color (and not knowing how to use the DCT). He drives a lot of cars, saying it is marvelous and the best he's driven in months is pretty positive, if you care what he says. I can't wait to pick up my baby crap colored M4 tomorrow. I may feel the same way he does, since I've never seen AY in person. I have seen a black M4, and I really like the styling. Inside and out, the best styled M car yet IMHO.

[Damasconian]

Good points all around. Ill be really interested in watching them review the car on an actual episode of Top Gear.

Really Im more excited to see him review the new Corvette. If he hates the C7, he will hate anything and everything to come out of the USA.

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by Audio Fan

This is classic Clarkson. If you aren't a fan, you may not realize that. He's a curmudgeon that pisses and moans for 90% and gets to the point for 10%. I can't help but enjoy his reviews, especially on TV. I short, this is clearly a positive review of the car. He really just knocks off a few points on styling and color (and not knowing how to use the DCT). He drives a lot of cars, saying it is marvelous and the best he's driven in months is pretty positive, if you care what he says. I can't wait to pick up my baby crap colored M4 tomorrow. I may feel the same way he does, since I've never seen AY in person. I have seem the M4, and I really like the styling. Inside and out, the best styled M car yet IMHO.

Exactly.

....and, of course, bear in mind that in those same 'months' he drove the Corvette Stingray, which he also said was "excellent" and awarded 4/5 stars.

http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews...y-convertible/

(and made a bunch of jokes about Americans, bibles, guns and communism.)

[Damasconian]

Originally Posted by Audio Fan

This is classic Clarkson. If you aren't a fan, you may not realize that. He's a curmudgeon that pisses and moans for 90% and gets to the point for 10%. I can't help but enjoy his reviews, especially on TV. In short, this is clearly a positive review of the car. He really just knocks off a few points on styling and color (and not knowing how to use the DCT). He drives a lot of cars, saying it is marvelous and the best he's driven in months is pretty positive, if you care what he says. I can't wait to pick up my baby crap colored M4 tomorrow. I may feel the same way he does, since I've never seen AY in person. I have seen a black M4, and I really like the styling. Inside and out, the best styled M car yet IMHO.

I went to the Detroit auto show to specifically see this car in January. Front and center at the BMW display was an AY M4. Trust me, if you like it in pictures, you will like it more in person. Its a very deep color that looks much less showy than in some of the pictures. I started with black, then thought about AY (my wife loves it) but settled on SO as a middle ground. Enjoy it, you got the right color.

[Ritz42]

Originally Posted by M4 JTD

His inaccurate and poorly researched comments regarding the DCT gearbox particularly annoyed me.

“a seven-speed flappy-paddle gearbox that offers no creep. Unlike a standard automatic, the car won’t move until you put your foot on the accelerator. Which makes parking a jerky bloody nightmare.”
- Incorrect: The M4 does have the ability to creep – It’s called “Low Speed Assistant” and activated by one small tap on the accelerator.

The only thing I can say to this, is that Jeremy Clarkson does not simply "tap" the accelerator. He's a pedal to the floor kinda guy. That might be why he missed it.

Also, he said that it won't move until you touch the gas, you counter with it won't move until you touch the gas... I'm confused. How was he wrong?

[jc05e46m3]

Originally Posted by M4 JTD

His inaccurate and poorly researched comments regarding the DCT gearbox particularly annoyed me.

“a seven-speed flappy-paddle gearbox that offers no creep. Unlike a standard automatic, the car won’t move until you put your foot on the accelerator. Which makes parking a jerky bloody nightmare.”
- Incorrect: The M4 does have the ability to creep – It’s called “Low Speed Assistant” and activated by one small tap on the accelerator.

“And while we are on the subject of the gearbox, I was forever being told by bongs and rude messages that I might not turn off the ignition until I had put the gearlever into Park. But as far as I could see, there was no Park. What you have to do to solve the problem is to slam the lever this way and that while swearing.”
- Incorrect: You don’t have to do anything other than switch off the ignition – The car is just warning you with a check control message that you have left the ignition on and that it will not auto engage park until you switch it off.

Though I get your point, he is still right. He specifically said that you have to put your foot on the accelerator.....and then you echoed that in your point. lol.

[DreF80///M3]

I wasn't as concerned with the creep he was talking about as much as the jerky nightmare comment. If you can't park a DCT f8x without jerkiness you are doing something wrong.

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by DreF80///M3

I wasn't as concerned with the creep he was talking about as much as the jerky nightmare comment. If you can't park a DCT f8x without jerkiness you are doing something wrong.

....just exaggeration on his part. It is more colourful than saying "I don't like parking the DCT"

[Carl L]

Originally Posted by DreF80///M3

I wasn't as concerned with the creep he was talking about as much as the jerky nightmare comment. If you can't park a DCT f8x without jerkiness you are doing something wrong.

Agreed. Again though, it's just classic Clarkson both in relation to hating "flappy paddles" and only letting his true views to a car air in the last few paragraphs. While no reviewer is the be all and end all I'm always pleased when Clarkson sings a car's praises that I plan to buy.

[shortseller]

Originally Posted by myzmak

It is typical Clarkson. First say some stuff, then pivot suddenly to conclusion, which is here:



So he doesn't like the design and some of the minor 'nanny' issues, but he likes the car and he likes driving it, which would seem to be the more important issues....

So, sure, maybe he would buy one.

...just not in Austin Yellow...

...and not with DCT.

My takeaway as well.

[/// M sa]

Only review that matters is mine, my own experience and what I feel when I drive my car. Who gives a shit what any of these guys have to say, drive the car for your self and decide if the car is for you.

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by Damasconian

Good points all around. Ill be really interested in watching them review the car on an actual episode of Top Gear.

Really Im more excited to see him review the new Corvette. If he hates the C7, he will hate anything and everything to come out of the USA.

He was driving a C7 recently according to his twitter.

[myzmak]

Originally Posted by JetBlack5OC

He was driving a C7 recently according to his twitter.

Review is here:

http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews...y-convertible/

As I said above, he likes it ("excellent"), notes its faults (suspension, tranny, push-rod nature of engine), and gives it same rating as M4 (4/5).

...oh, and he makes a bunch of jokes about Americans, bibles, guns and communism.

[nachob]

He's spot on for me. The colors are awful in person. I know it's subjective but we have already heard from everyone that loves YMB and AY but they really don't do justice to the cars. We keep hearing how great the DCT is we keep saying the annoyances and less involvment aren't worth the .2 seconds which mostly comes from launch control as much as quicker shifting. I was at the dealer waitng for the M3 test drive when a the guy that ordered one already was test driving it for the first time. They pull in and sit in the car a few minutes talking. Finally, the salesman who knows me well rolls down the window and asks, do you know how to put this thing in Park? I'm sorry if people think it sounds negative but everyone just accepts whatever BMW throws at them as gold-dust and righteous. Sorry, it's a lame design. You shouldn't have to read a manual to put your car in PARK. I give them credit for simplifying launch control finally, that was a joke in the E90s. The punk in the Sentra had creamed M3s while the owner was trying to figure out why launch control misfired at the stop light. It doesn't mean we don't love the other goodness in the car but in order to keep improving them someone has to be honest. If no one raises these points, they have no incentive to fix the problems. I'm glad Clarkson pointed these things out and hopefully BMW is listening because this is an incredible machine and I saw the new Lexus F car at Cars and Coffee Irvine last weekend. It is automatic and while ugly as a car can be and no manual (LAME) it has real sound and it sounded good! Darn good. The competition is not standing still and while BMW keeps us manual trans guys in the fold, Lexus is a contender with the automatic arcade-game, luxo crowd which is the largest part of the new M3 family.

[ersin]

What he said about the color applies to Phoenix Yellow, not Austin Yellow. Sheesh, get the colors right Jeremy.

And here's a good one:

There was a time, of course, when the M3 was hijacked by the nation’s squash-playing dealmakers. People in braces who didn’t really know what it was; only that it made them look good. It was an accessory, like Oakley sunglasses.

Today these people are driving fast Audis and, to a certain extent, Mercedes AMGs.

Take that Steve Sutcliffe.


Cheers.

[DieGrüneHölle]

Originally Posted by myzmak

Review is here:

http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews...y-convertible/

As I said above, he likes it ("excellent"), notes its faults (suspension, tranny, push-rod nature of engine), and gives it same rating as M4 (4/5).

...oh, and he makes a bunch of jokes about Americans, bibles, guns and communism.

He really like the styling:

"It’s one of the most beautifully proportioned cars I’ve seen."

[Matteus]

I agree with JC on colours to some extent, but his comments on the DCT are very odd - I couldn't disagree more. Anyway, looking on the bright side, at least he's stopped slagging off the i-drive.....

Let's see what he thinks when he (inevitably) reviews the car again on the TV show!!

[Damasconian]

Originally Posted by myzmak

Review is here:

http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews...y-convertible/

As I said above, he likes it ("excellent"), notes its faults (suspension, tranny, push-rod nature of engine), and gives it same rating as M4 (4/5).

...oh, and he makes a bunch of jokes about Americans, bibles, guns and communism.

What a dick. I can see these type of shots leveled at Americans from Germany or even Japan but what the hell does the Uk manufacture anymore? Jag/Land Rover now owned and run by the Indians while the rover group has pretty much died off, thank god. Outside of Maclaren, not sure what the Brits hang their hats on when it comes to UK engineering and build quality.

That being said, Clarkson is an entertainer. And he's been entertaining me for the better part of a decade. He's my #1 hatewatch.

[Damasconian]

Originally Posted by Matteus

I agree with JC on colours to some extent, but his comments on the DCT are very odd - I couldn't disagree more. Anyway, looking on the bright side, at least he's stopped slagging off the i-drive.....

Let's see what he thinks when he (inevitably) reviews the car again on the TV show!!

The DCT is a mystery to me. Ive only driven the Porsche PDK and it was fantastic. The second I get my 6-MT M4 later this fall, Im posting an invitation for anyone with a DCT to come over for an afternoon of driving. Surely DCT drivers want to see how the 6-MT drives and vice versa.

[M8 JTD]

Originally Posted by jc05e46m3

Though I get your point, he is still right. He specifically said that you have to put your foot on the accelerator.....and then you echoed that in your point. lol.

Originally Posted by Ritz42

The only thing I can say to this, is that Jeremy Clarkson does not simply "tap" the accelerator. He's a pedal to the floor kinda guy. That might be why he missed it.

Also, he said that it won't move until you touch the gas, you counter with it won't move until you touch the gas... I'm confused. How was he wrong?

Hi Chaps,

Clarkson states "a seven-speed flappy-paddle gearbox that offers no creep. Unlike a standard automatic, the car won’t move until you put your foot on the accelerator. Which makes parking a jerky bloody nightmare.”

His article suggests that the M4; A: does not creep and B: requires you to use the accelerator to park it (i.e. to keep it moving) resulting in jerking. I'm simply pointing out that this isn't true - you tap the accelerator once to activate creep i.e. you can creep it into a parking space smoothly using the brakes after that.

[gthal]

Originally Posted by Damasconian

I wouldnt say it was positive. Seems like he spent more time criticizing the car than praising it. Im not hater, I get my M4 last week of september so I have skin in the game. I really wanted this to come across better than it did.

But when you read this segment below then compare it to what he wrote in the review, the two just dont add up. Colors aside, does this review move you to think he'd actually buy one for himself?

How is this not positive?

I honestly haven’t enjoyed driving a vehicle as much as this for months.

He is being dramatic for the sake of drama the entire review right up until he talks about performance and then says it was the most fun in months... seems very positive to me. I think you are confusing his shock writing style with his actual opinion.

[gthal]

Originally Posted by Damasconian

The DCT is a mystery to me. Ive only driven the Porsche PDK and it was fantastic. The second I get my 6-MT M4 later this fall, Im posting an invitation for anyone with a DCT to come over for an afternoon of driving. Surely DCT drivers want to see how the 6-MT drives and vice versa.

The DCT is as good (if not better according to some) than PDK. As mentioned above, GC likes drama and being melodramatic.