BMW M4 Competition Delivers Daily Composure And Track Power

The BMW M4 Competition has spent half a year as my weekday companion, and it has proved far more versatile than its assertive stance suggests. Fire the twin-turbo straight-six and the coupé eases away with polite manners, its adaptive dampers soaking up potholes and speed humps without jangling your teeth. The steering stays light around town, the eight-speed gearbox glides through ratios almost invisibly, and the generous 440-litre boot has swallowed gym bags, camera cases and a fortnight’s food shop with ease.

Press the red M button, though, and the car’s dual personality surfaces. Throttle response sharpens, the exhaust rasps, and suddenly every slip road feels like a miniature straight at Silverstone. Traction from the rear axle is mighty, but the power delivery remains progressive enough that you can lean on it rather than tiptoe around it. Carbon-fibre bucket seats, which look like they belong in a GT racing car, surprise by being genuinely comfortable on long jaunts, offering firm support without bruising your hips.

The flip side of this pace is a healthy appetite for tyres. A couple of spirited Sunday blasts along the B-roads of Surrey drilled noticeable layers off the Michelin rubber, and the rear pair will need replacing well before the service interval arrives. Fuel consumption also drops once you explore the upper reaches of the rev band, but a gentle right foot on the motorway rewards you with figures that won’t have you hunting for the next filling station every hour.

Minor gripes include a turning circle that is tighter than expected and door apertures that make clambering into the back seats an acrobatic move for taller friends. Yet these are tiny blemishes on an otherwise polished package. The latest infotainment update is slick and intuitive, lane-keeping assistance works without nagging, and the laser-cut tail-lamps frequently prompt admirers to ask if they’re gazing at something rarer than it is.

After thousands of miles, the conclusion is clear: the BMW M4 Competition is not merely a weekend toy. It is a genuine all-rounder that blends saloon-car civility with sports-car pace, delivering a driving experience that leaves you hunting for excuses to take the long route home.