A few months ago, I made
a long winded compilation thread to deal with some perceived early panic about the F8X reviews. The point of the thread was to do two things:
- First to deal with concern that the F8X was getting worse reviews than the E9X (because it wasn't)
- Second, to note that the E9X wasn't always the run away winner of the head to head battles the way many people remembered it.
While those tasks were really completed in that first thread, the point of this (even longer-winded) post is to expand on the second for the new car. Specifically, I want to make one compilation thread of all of the various head to head battles the F8X has been involved in. A few notes:
(1) I have only included professional/semi-professional reviews. No personal impression threads or youtube racing videos.
(2) I have tried to be comprehensive, but if I have missed any, please add them below.
(3) I don’t want to debate the individual comparisons in this thread (I have included the actual bimmerpost threads for each item, so you can debate the legitimacy/illegitimacy of a particular review there) – really, I just want to capture the whole range of data and see if any overarching trends can be determined.
(4) I've tried to keep it to true comparisons. So if there is just a passing reference in the review of another car to an M4 (good or bad) I've left it out. But if there is more than that, if, say, that review is really a 'how does this compare to M3/M4?' I've left it in. Those are judgment calls; you don't like my calls, I can tell you what you can do with yourself….
(5) I've also left out pure 'which car is faster'/objective comparisons. Numbers are what they are, I am more interested (for this thread) in the subjective/driving dynamics type comparisons.
(6) Before you say anything: I am not suggesting these comparisons actually mean much, if anything at all. (this was done on a slow day for fun). The only comparison that really matters to me is my own. BUT….I thought it might be something fun to do/look at all at once. So before you tell me how you don't like me doing this at all, stop, go get a drink, talk to your wife/girlfriend/children/mother/dog and then see if you still care enough to complain that I did this. Thanks
Edit: All of the data below as of September 2017 is summarized in one chart at post 179
Earlier versions of that chart from December 2015 are here at post 117, from February 2016 here and from November 2016 at post 143 and from February 2017
here here.
Anyway, without further ado, the running list:
Autocar – May 2014
M4 vs C63 (507 Edition)
Winner?
C63
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=985481
Notes: Sutcliffe.
Evo – June 2014
M4 vs F-Type (v6)
Winner?
Probably F-type…(a little vague)
http://api.app.evo.co.uk/editions/uk...8a77a/web.html
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=991987
Auto Express – June 2014
M4 vs RS5 (track battle)
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1002720
Car Magazine – June 2014
M4 vs F-type vs 911
M4 2nd (911 wins)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=988629
Autocar – July 2014
M4 vs Alpina D3
Winner?
D3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1015018
Notes: F80 is 0 for 2 with Autocar….
Automobile Mag – July 2014
M4 vs Stingray (around track)
Winner?
Stingray
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1007488
Auto Express – Jul 2014
M4 vs Cayman S vs RS5
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1008314
Car & Driver – June 2014
M4 vs 911
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1003386
Autocar – August 2014
M4 v B4 v M235
Winner?
M235. M4 3rd)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1026023
Note: 0 for
3 with Autocar.
Automotor Sport – August 2014
M4 vs RS4 vs Volvo Polestar
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1022897
GTO – August 2014
M4 v Jag F-type
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1025889
Chris Harris – online post – October 2014
M4 v RC-F
Winner?
M4
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=30817
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1034241
Autobild – October 2014
M4 v Z/28
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1039963
Consumer Reports – October 2014
M4 vs RCF
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1045146
http://autospies.com/news/VIDEO-Cons...-Choice-83053/
Autocar –
Best Driver's Car (M4 vs others)
M4?
9th
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1047952
Note: 0 for
4 with Autocar….
Top Gear – July 2014
Cayman S v M4
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1008785
Note: part of "Speed Week" – it won this head to head then finished mid-pack in the final group.
Evo Car – November 2014
Car of the year
M4?
9th
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1053415
Motor Trend – November 2014
Best Drivers Car
M4?
5th http://www.motortrend.com/features/p...t_drivers_car/
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1037324
Road and Track – November 2014
Corvette Z51 vs Cayman S vs M4
Winner?
Z51. M4 3rd
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1044432
http://kinja.roadandtrack.com/power-...16415/+pgeorge
Motor Trend – December 2014
M4 vs RC-F
Winner?
M4 http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._f_comparison/
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1066981
Edit: missed two
Road and Track - November 2014
Performance Car of the Year
Winner? Not M4 (911 won). No rankings (that I saw) for the others
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1057209
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...r-of-the-year/
Motoring Australia - October 2014
M4 v C63 (507 Edition)
Winner? M4
http://www.motoring.com.au/bmw-m4-v-...2/?s=M4%20c63\
Note: Missed this originally, only added in February 2016.
--------------------------------
Edit (new ones added here):
Cars Guide - Australia - November 2014
(note: only found/added in Decmeber 2015)
M4 vs C63 vs GT-R vs RS5
Winner? M4
http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-revi...5-review-30158
Car and Throttle - December 2014
M3 vs RS4
Winner? Draw (one reviewer said Audi, one said M3)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1071931
Evo - January 2015
M4 vs RS5 vs RC-F
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1084955
Autocar - February 2015
M4 vs RC-F
Winner? Mixed bag.
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1088283
Note: BMW destroys lexus in straight line, after some drifting reviewer says he 'maybe might just prefer' Lexus on track because it is more benign....
Still, this might be the best result for M4 with Autocar which continues its general 'hate on' for this car.
Autocar - February 2015
M4 vs RC-F vs RS5
Winner?
M4
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...rs5-comparison
Note: Miracle of miracles, the M4 cleanly wins an Autocar comparison - and (IMHO anyway) for the right reasons. Rather than whining that it isn't the sort of car that was made for previous generations, it recognizes the current world and that the M4 is the car for this world.
Chris Harris - February 2015
RC-F v M4
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...6&postcount=45
Note: ok, this isn't a true head to head (it is technically a review of the RC-F on its own) but given the number of times in the first 6 or 7 minutes he says "this car is nowhere near as good as the M3/M4" it gets inclusion in my list.
Top Gear - March 2015
RC-F vs M4
Winner?
M4
<link pending scan of article...>
Car Advice (Australia)
RC-F vs M4
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1101446
Note: that article linked to an earlier comaro they did which I list below.
Car Advice (Australia)
M4 vs C63 507
Winner?
C63
http://www.caradvice.com.au/297611/b...g-edition-507/
Autohoje (Portugal) - March 2015
M3 vs C63S
Winner?
M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1103467
Note: first published head to head of new C63S and F8X. We know that other reviewers (English, ahem) will likely go a different direction but...interesting all the same.
Auto Express - March 2015
M4 vs RC-F
Winner?
M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1103545
Note: not just a pure 'race' (in which case I wouldn't have included it) but comparison on driving fun, engagement as well.
Car (UK) - April 2015
M3 vs C63
Winner? C63
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1103972
Note: the
exact same review (all written by Georg Kacher) was replicated twice more:
Automobile Mag -
http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...c63-vs-bmw-m3/
Top Car (South Africa)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1112991
(with a slightly different concluding line in the automobile mag version)
In any event, I am counting it once but including all three links above. Curious to see how many more times Herr Kacher is able to sell the same review....
Evo - Track Battle - June 2015
C63S v M3
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1139240
Note: this is probably closer to a pure 'time/race' comparison which makes it dicey to include, but there are extended drives of both first with lots of commentary and comparisons so I have kept it in as the likes/dislikes of the reviewer are clear (as is the actual 'race' result). The result is probably summed up in the presenter's phrase "brute force versus precision". Or, put another way, this is yet another installment in the same story that has been between these two for decades now......
Autocar UK - July 2015
C63S v M3 vs Vauxhaull VXR8 GTS
Winner? C63 (M3 second)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1149687
Notes: better handling/power use in M3, but more overall pleasure from C63
DFA - South African Paper - July 2015
C63 S v M3
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1148507
(easier to read version here:
http://www.pressreader.com/south-afr...07322/TextView)
Cars.com - July 2015
M4 vs ATS-V vs RC-F
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1150281
Article:
https://www.cars.com/articles/whats-...1420680665661/
Note: the link on the f80post thread is to the second page which is just the performance numbers (which is not what this thread is about). But the link I posted above is to the whole article which includes subjective driving impressions and thus makes it part of this thread.
Motorweek - July 2015
M3 vs RC-F vs ATS-V
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1154438
Car & Driver - August 2015
M3 vs C63 S v ATS-V
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1143937
Note: Solid win by M3. Outperforms C63S in 'subjective' and 'objective' characteristics. ATS-V beats them both on subjective (see other posts on 'home field' biases...) but loses out on objective issues.
Car - South Africa
M3 vs C63s
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1156705
Motor Trend - August 2015
M3 vs C63 vs Ats-V
Winner? C63s
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1157663
Notes: M3 3rd as 'closest 3rd place finisher ever'
Whatcar? - August 2015
M3 vs C63S
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1157655
Notes: Rare win for the M3 by the English press (which, as Chris Harris noted long ago, seems to have a hatred for Munich these days....)
Autoweek - August 2015
M3 v C63S
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1161902
Pistonheads - October 2015
M4 vs C63S
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1188487
http://www.pistonheads.com/features/...s-bmw-m4/33154
Pistonheads - November 2015
M4 vs GT-R (45th Anniversary Edition)
Winner? GT-R
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1200587
http://www.pistonheads.com/features/...iversary/33146
Yahoo Autos - December 2015
M3 vs Dodge Charger Hellcat
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1202073
CNET - January 2016 - aka "Road Show Rivals"
ATS-V v C63 v M3
Winner? ATS-V (M3 3rd)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1217948
Note: another win for the caddy in 'murica.
From Youtube video, seems to be their first video review
Car - February 2016
M4 v RC-F v Mustang GT
Winner? RC-F (m4 3rd)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1219421
Note: Car magazine continues its well documented hate on for the F8X.
Motoring Australia - February 2016
M4 v C63S (Coupe)
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1225648
Note: In the video, they mention an earlier comparison with the OLD C63 - which I link to below.
Motor Trend - March 2016
M4 v Camaro SS
Winner? Bitchin' Camaro.
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1243979
Note: Camaro was the MT Car of the Year so...they like it lots
Drive (Australia) Head to Head - April 2016
M4 vs C63S
Winner? C63S
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1254536
Autocar - July 2016
M4 Comp Pack v C63S
Winner? C63
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1287675
Chris Harris / Top Gear - August 2016
M3 vs Alfa Quadrifoglio
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1296610
Note: mostly a review of Alfa, but with very clear focus on answering whether it is better than M3 (which he says it isn't, but not by much)
Car Magazine - August 2016
M3 Comp Pack vs C63S vs Alfa Quadrifoglio
Winner? C63. M3 3rd
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1286026
BMW Blog - August 2016
M3 Comp Pack vs Alfa Quadrifoglio
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1287675
Article at:
http://www.bmwblog.com/2016/06/30/20...-v-test-drive/
AutoExpress August 2016
M3 vs C63S
Winner? C63S
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1290003
Motormag - 2016 Annual
M4 CP v C63S
Winner? C63S
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1329080
Igntion TV - November 2016
M4 CP v C63S
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1322864
Car Throttle - November 2016
M2 v M4 ZCP
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1327934
https://www.carthrottle.com/post/bmw...s-big-brother/
Autozeitung - December 2016
M3 ZCP v Alfa Quadrifoglio
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1331370
Note: Focusing on the 'overall evaluation' ('Gesamtbewertung') on the right side of the page.
Original/full article here:
http://www.autozeitung.de/auto-vergl...m3-competition
Car Magazine (UK) - December 2016
M4 ZCP v Alfa Quadiroglio v C63S
Winner? C 63 (M4 2nd)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1332794
Autobild Magazine - February 2017
M3 ZCP v Alfa Quadiroglio v C63S v ATS-V
Winner? M3 ZCP
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1345187
Motoring Australia - February 2017
M3 ZCP (30 year) v M140i, M2, M4GTS, M5, M6, X6M
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1350130
Notes: I think that is every M or M-lite car in Aus.
Car and Driver - March 2017
M3 CP v Alfa Quadifoglio v C63S v ATS-V
Winner? Alfa. M3 3rd.
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1351835
Edit: interestingly, C&D says the M3 ZCP is
worse than the original (which beat the C63S back up in August 2015). Outrage, predictably, ensues
Motor Trend - February 2017
M3 CP v C63S v ATS-V v Alfa Quadrifoglio
Winner? Alfa. M3 2nd (ATS-V 3rd, C63 4th)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1351856
Edit: unlike C&D, these guys love the ZCP M3.
Top Gear - May 2017
M3 CP vs Alfa Quadrifoglio
Winner? Alfa.
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1376964
Piston Heads - May 2017
M3 ZCP v Alfa vs C63S
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1385944
Motorsport (France) - May 2017
M3 ZCP v Alfa v Cadillac ATS-V
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1382408
Autoexpress - August 2017
M3 ZCP v C63S v Audi A5
Winner? M3
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1414588
Note: will wonders never cease. a win among the UK press.
Sportauto - August 2017
M4 CS v Mustang Shelby GT 350
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1404031
Note: Somewhat amazing a German mag reviewed a Mustang. Shows the growth of that car; previous gens would have been ignored.
Evo (UK) - November 2017
M4 CP v RS5 v C63S
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1420003
Note: another UK win for the M4. Seems the tide has turned with the ZCP.
Autobild (Germany) - October 2017
M4 CP v RS4 v C63S
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1420713
Sport Auto (Germany) - October 2017
M4 CP v RS5 v ATS-V v RC-F v C63S
Winner? M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1422272
Note: Another powering win for the ZCP
GRIP (German TV) - Sept 2017
M4 ZCP v Corvette C7 Grand Sport
Winner: M4
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1422600
Motor Magazine - October 2017 (Australia)
M4 CP v Giulia QF v C63S
Winner? C63S (M4 rd)
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1414520
Motorsport (France) - October 2017
M4 CS v 911 GTS
Winner? 911
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1433090
Note: one of the few CS comparisons.