A BMW M4 Hot Lap Changed my Perspective on Street Car Speed

[Ghetto2315]

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/a-b...2905/+ballaban


The BMW M4 has been a staple of automotive Internet controversy since it's reveal in Phoenix Austin Yellow. Lately that controversy has surrounded its name and its sound (following the demise of the legendary S65 V8), but after I experienced and filmed the ride above at this year's Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, I realized how mind-blowing the M4 - and indeed any modern sports car - actually is.

If you get the chance to go attend PVGP, you'll find there one of the most impressive and diverse concours and race events one can attend in the northeastern USA. The variety is incredible, the quality is stunning, and the racing is, well, real; held on the streets around Schenley Park in the city, it's one of the few historic races on otherwise public roads. But a big part of my experience there this year was the M4.

And the experience I had with that car was not one of mechanical yearning, or a want for a different engine. It was instead one of intense appreciation for the work that goes into the engineering of thousands of carefully-built components designed to work in perfect harmony at full speed - and to continue to work in perfect harmony through dozens more hot laps, and then again on the return drive, and onward into years of use. It was a feeling of confidence in the M4 and its now-turbocharged engine, and most of all in the piloting skills of BMW Performance Driving School instructor Mike Renner.

The PVGP course is a brilliant, if shocking, place for a racing event. The course is tight, narrow, and unforgiving, with no runoff area to speak of and - at one point - a bridge over one of the city's numerous gorges. Yet as this course turned into a blur in Renner's excellent stewardship of the M4, reaching 120mph on the straight over the blind crest and sliding gracefully jut feet from spectators and drop-offs, I realized two things.

The first was that these cars are publicly available. Someone can and will walk into a BMW dealership and request this twin-turbocharged supercomputer of a car based on journalist reviews and pure lust (both admittedly worthy persuasions), and be handed the keys without truly experiencing its capabilities (for any potential owner, I would non-solicitingly recommend the BMW Performance Driving School, or at least a hot lap in one of these at an event). And that's a shame, because no road experience in speed and performance could ever compare to feeling the sturdiness of this car with a professional driver at the wheel.



The second realization was that other people will walk into a dealer lacking the same knowledge about this car's mind-blowing speed and grip capacity, and want to make it faster.

Like it or not, the M4 - and indeed almost any modern performance car - is not the same mechanical creation it was in even five years ago. While the S65 V8 of the E9x series was certainly advanced, it did have the benefit of displacement to aid it. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo in the M4 has no such luxury, and relies instead on being just one part of a finely-tuned creation to produce a confident, sturdy experience. For this reason, I have trouble imagining an M4 with a manual. But its also the first time I've realized that sometimes a car should remain stock.

I myself am a fan of classic vehicles, and have a vow of sorts not to drive anything built after 2005 for want of minimizing computerized involvement. I own three manual vehicles, one of which is an E24 BMW, and I enjoy making select alterations to my cars to create the mechanical driving experience I enjoy.

But the M4 cannot be treated with the same tuning abandon as sports cars of ten or fifteen years ago, at least outside of the professional realm. The car should be treated with respect to its capability, and most importantly to the harmony created in all its components. Sports car have changed, and its time we pause and appreciate that. The speed this car can achieve even on the bump-laden public roads of PVGP is something to be respected, and to claim that the car lacks something in performance is ridiculous.



The feeling of complete mechanical and electronic harmony may not be for everyone, but in no way is the M4s nature as a modern sports car a shortcoming. Rather, it's a testament to both the passage of time, and the eternal human quest for speed. We've reached a point where stock street cars manage to be mind-numbingly fast and consistent, and perhaps its best to take a moment not to think about improving the product, but to pause and appreciate exactly what performance street cars can do.

[tooch]

Car sounded pretty good. I wonder if that was performance exhaust?

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by Ghetto2315

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/a-b...2905/+ballaban

The feeling of complete mechanical and electronic harmony may not be for everyone, but in no way is the M4s nature as a modern sports car a shortcoming. Rather, it's a testament to both the passage of time, and the eternal human quest for speed. We've reached a point where stock street cars manage to be mind-numbingly fast and consistent, and perhaps its best to take a moment not to think about improving the product, but to pause and appreciate exactly what performance street cars can do.

I will probably get laughed out of this forum, but ....

I am old school and a long time DIYer. I "grew up" in an environment where after-market products were designed to compenate for weaknesses and "flaws" in engineering. Every day, I am amazed at all the people getting springs, shocks, etc., etc. for cars that they have not even taken delivery of. I have owned nothing but BMWs since 1977 and this will be my 14th different BMW. In my mind, there is no doubt that this will be the best BMW that I have ever purchased. When I pay $80k for an ///M4, I don't see the need to spend thousands of dollars to "improve" on what the BMW engineers worked hard to develop in the first place. But then that is just me .......

[FTS]

Originally Posted by gmcconn535

I will probably get laughed out of this forum, but ....

I am old school and a long time DIYer.

Yes, we are old school, no doubt . And today modifying a car is so much more difficult (and dangerous) due to the electronics, I am reluctant to do much DIY, unless I know for sure I am not going to mess up some computer algorithm.

However, we also have to acknowledge that many people like to 'personalize' their vehicle, and the exterior looks are as or more important as the performance of the vehicle. The ride height has to be just rights to the eye, the tires have to look shiny and flush with fenders, and many more other reasons that my imagination will short out. They are no less enthusiast than we are, are they?

I think the enthusiasm shown on this board and elsewhere should be a celebration for BMW M brand. Imagine what they have achieved; all types of young and old people pay over $70K for their brand new unproven cars just because it carries the badge and colors, and feeds the inner child in each of us. Work over decades are paying off, well done BMW!

[04RC51]

Originally Posted by gmcconn535

I will probably get laughed out of this forum, but ....

I am old school and a long time DIYer. I "grew up" in an environment where after-market products were designed to compenate for weaknesses and "flaws" in engineering. Every day, I am amazed at all the people getting springs, shocks, etc., etc. for cars that they have not even taken delivery of. I have owned nothing but BMWs since 1977 and this will be my 14th different BMW. In my mind, there is no doubt that this will be the best BMW that I have ever purchased. When I pay $80k for an ///M4, I don't see the need to spend thousands of dollars to "improve" on what the BMW engineers worked hard to develop in the first place. But then that is just me .......

I always found drifting the be the most useless discipline of driving ever for the same reasons! You take cars that the manufacturers spent untold millions to get them to handle properly and then you do your best not to handle?

[Lups]

Originally Posted by gmcconn535

I will probably get laughed out of this forum, but ....

I am old school and a long time DIYer. I "grew up" in an environment where after-market products were designed to compenate for weaknesses and "flaws" in engineering. Every day, I am amazed at all the people getting springs, shocks, etc., etc. for cars that they have not even taken delivery of. I have owned nothing but BMWs since 1977 and this will be my 14th different BMW. In my mind, there is no doubt that this will be the best BMW that I have ever purchased. When I pay $80k for an ///M4, I don't see the need to spend thousands of dollars to "improve" on what the BMW engineers worked hard to develop in the first place. But then that is just me .......

You sir are old enough to have a working brain.

[Damasconian]

The most interesting line in this well written article was about the DCT transmission. He made it very clear BMW built this car to work in complete unison with all the other components. Its clear he thinks the M cars were built with the DCT in mind as the optimal transmission.

Call me hard-headed but Im sticking with the 6-MT. But this writer put it best as to why the DCT is the way to go, and his explanation was clear and concise. Never have I seen a car that makes such a good case for an automatic transmission.

[Caelric]

Originally Posted by Damasconian

The most interesting line in this well written article was about the DCT transmission. He made it very clear BMW built this car to work in complete unison with all the other components. Its clear he thinks the M cars were built with the DCT in mind as the optimal transmission.

Call me hard-headed but Im sticking with the 6-MT. But this writer put it best as to why the DCT is the way to go, and his explanation was clear and concise. Never have I seen a car that makes such a good case for an automatic transmission.

The car certainly performs better in a straight line with the DCT and likely performs better at the track with the DCT.

Regardless, to me, it's much more fun to have three pedals, and that's why my M4 is ordered with the 6 speed.

[W///]

Originally Posted by gmcconn535

I will probably get laughed out of this forum, but ....

I am old school and a long time DIYer. I "grew up" in an environment where after-market products were designed to compenate for weaknesses and "flaws" in engineering. Every day, I am amazed at all the people getting springs, shocks, etc., etc. for cars that they have not even taken delivery of. I have owned nothing but BMWs since 1977 and this will be my 14th different BMW. In my mind, there is no doubt that this will be the best BMW that I have ever purchased. When I pay $80k for an ///M4, I don't see the need to spend thousands of dollars to "improve" on what the BMW engineers worked hard to develop in the first place. But then that is just me .......

I'm a DIY'er myself (not as long as you though), but I'm going to disagree with that statement. There's no such thing as a "perfect" car from factory. Everything is a compromise, whether it geared towards comfort vs handling vs cost ect...

Things like brakes on my personal E92 M3. NO doubt BMW spend hours and $$$ to develop it, but who here would tell you that they are as good as they can be (F80/2 has no such issues by the way).

Is there a way to ruin a car? Absolutely (adding 21" wheels is one of them IMHO). But at the same time, if the proper mods were added, you can easily improve the looks, handling, power or sound of the car to your tastes/needs. Which is the important part.

P.S. But I agree with you about modding a car that you've never even driven before. That's a little much.

[yosman8]

Originally Posted by gmcconn535

Every day, I am amazed at all the people getting springs, shocks, etc., etc. for cars that they have not even taken delivery of.

Originally Posted by W///

P.S. But I agree with you about modding a car that you've never even driven before. That's a little much.

Why do I need to wait for my car to arrive when I have seen the F8X in person and know that it sits too high for my taste and needs H&R springs to augment the adaptive suspension...

[DrtyJrze]

Some mods are necessary to increase performance due to government regulations. Intakes, DPs, exhaust, CPUs etc. IMO enhance the characteristics of the vehicle that may have been artificially limited.

[ersin]

So, what's your first mod going to be? LOL.


Cheers.

[JoeFromPA]

Modifications CAN be useful when replacing parts that were constrained for some reason, most frequently cost, regulation, or environmental considerations.

For example, a titanium exhaust is often alot lighter but at much higher expense and fragility than a good stainless steel exhaust. Batteries are often sized to support cold-starting in -40 degree arctic temps, and aren't needed to be so heavy in warm environments, etc.

However, on the flip side, modifications are often employed in ways that may increase one aspect a modest amount while increasing undesirable attributes far more.

The best example for me was whiteline lower control arm bushings on my wife's 2008 Subaru Legacy GT.

I had read extensively about them: In a 3-bushing arm, they replaced the rear bushing alone. They were offset to increase caster and, combined with added stiffness, would really tighten up steering wheel. NVH was supposed to increase just a tad.

After I had them installed: OMG did NVH increase. Yes, steering feel was notably improved but now a car that was on the edge of having good ride quality and noise isolation was sucked backwards.

All for a ~$90 set of bushings and because frequently those who modify are focused on the traits they are looking for and downplay the negatives that pop up (i.e. drones, NVH)

[dreamsongs]

All I can think of when I see that video is how can that guy be driving so fast with all those people in close proximity. Looks like not the best setting to cut it loose.

Or maybe I'm just getting too old....

[ss134]

Looks like my normal commute to work f I'm honest

[Ghetto2315]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

All I can think of when I see that video is how can that guy be driving so fast with all those people in close proximity. Looks like not the best setting to cut it loose.

Or maybe I'm just getting too old....

Mike Renner, who is a professional driver, is behind the wheel. Granted it's still pretty dangerous to be that close in proximity, I'd feel pretty confident him piloting the car. I'm a damn good driver, tracked many times but even I would be scared to push the car to the limits with that many people close by...

Originally Posted by ss134

Looks like my normal commute to work f I'm honest

So you look like a brunette with sunglasses on, eh?

[Rambler]

"While the S65 V8 of the E9x series was certainly advanced, it did have the benefit of displacement to aid it. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo in the M4 has no such luxury, and relies instead on two heavily boosted turbos to make up for the decrease in displacement."

Fixed this for him.

[modkrazy]

Originally Posted by yosman8

Why do I need to wait for my car to arrive when I have seen the F8X in person and know that it sits too high for my taste and needs H&R springs to augment the adaptive suspension...

"Augment"? Yes, let's dump BMW's suspension geometry, and stick shitty springs (that are re-branded versions of the same shit they peddle to 4-series owners) that introduce too much rake and upset the balance of the car to "augment" the suspension you paid an extra $1000 for.

If you want to lower your car, fine, but automatically assuming springs will "augment" the final product is silly. Although I suppose in the grand scheme of things, cosmetic "upgrades" that actually make the car perform worse are nothing new, and nothing too major considering 99% of these cars will be exclusively street driven.

[critical_mass]

Originally Posted by modkrazy

"Augment"? Yes, let's dump BMW's suspension geometry, and stick shitty springs (that are re-branded versions of the same shit they peddle to 4-series owners) that introduce too much rake and upset the balance of the car to "augment" the suspension you paid an extra $1000 for.

If you want to lower your car, fine, but automatically assuming springs will "augment" the final product is silly. Although I suppose in the grand scheme of things, cosmetic "upgrades" that actually make the car perform worse are nothing new, and nothing too major considering 99% of these cars will be exclusively street driven.

[soccer dad]

Originally Posted by dreamsongs

All I can think of when I see that video is how can that guy be driving so fast with all those people in close proximity. Looks like not the best setting to cut it loose.

Or maybe I'm just getting too old....

He never really went fast. I believe the post said 120 was the top and listening to the gears he never got out of 3rd. Noticed he banged the limited repeatedly. Also, you can still notice the highway concrete barriers placed in strategic locations as well as hay bales in the others. I'm guessing the concrete was placed in the spot you want to over-protect the watchers.

To me it just sounds like an autocross course that is very small that you never really get to high speeds. YMMV

[yosman8]

Originally Posted by modkrazy

"Augment"? Yes, let's dump BMW's suspension geometry, and stick shitty springs (that are re-branded versions of the same shit they peddle to 4-series owners) that introduce too much rake and upset the balance of the car to "augment" the suspension you paid an extra $1000 for.

If you want to lower your car, fine, but automatically assuming springs will "augment" the final product is silly. Although I suppose in the grand scheme of things, cosmetic "upgrades" that actually make the car perform worse are nothing new, and nothing too major considering 99% of these cars will be exclusively street driven.

Touche sir, touche. I do agree that mods that are more significant in nature shouldn't be ordered pre-delivery though.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by tooch

Car sounded pretty good. I wonder if that was performance exhaust?

Based on the pictures in the OP, it looks like the stock exhaust.