As expected, BMW offered the first glimpse of the new M4 sports coupe at the BMW opening media reception for the 2013 Pebble Beach Concurs, in Monterey. Revealed in concept form, The M4 is what used to be the M3; the high-performance, factory-tuned 3-Series Coupe that has now become the 4-Series.
This change of name, says BMW, is to prevent any further confusion as the 3-Series family grows bigger. It’ just a name, but a lot of people have complained that M4 is not as cool a name as the M3. The M3 badge will be seen from now on on the sedan version of the car.
The unveiling of the M4 Coupe is all about showing off the design of the production car. BMW did not mention anything about the new car’s powertrain. But we can reveal to you that it will be a turbocharged straight-six unit with up to 450 horsepower. So for now let’s just check out the exterior, shall we?
The M4 Concept follows the same recipe as all the previous M3, which means there is a rather subtle body kit added to the standard 4-Series to complement the wider fenders and larger wheels. There is new M-design bumpers and side skirts, and a lot of carbon fiber pats, including front splitter, the roof, or the rear diffuser. The use of lightweight materials is meant to bring the weight of the M4 as lo as possible.
The concept car features a special color called the “Aurum Dust” which is like a shiny version of BMW’s Dakar yellow. It is complemented with blacked-out parts, chief among which the iconic kidney grilles at the front. The M gills are also redesigned for the new model and work in tandem with the Air Curtain within the front apron that serves to ventilate the wheel arches and facilitate better airflow values.
The Concept M4 features 20-innch wheels behind which you find large M Carbon ceramic brakes. Whether or not they will make it into the production model remains to be seen. But even if they do, they’ll be costly options.
The production version of the BMW M4 will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show.