BMW took the sheets off the M4 GTS, a car developed and designed by BMW M GmbH, which is BMW's subsidiary and performance arm, and revealed a piece of art with the sexiest of growls and the bite to match the look.
BMW has finally taken the leash off the M4 GTS, which it first introduced as the water-injected GTS concept earlier this year, and boy, does it run. It charted a 7.28-minute lap time on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, which is one of the world's premiere racing circuits.
With its lap time, the M4 GTS is tied up with the Ferrari 458 Italia for spot No. 26 in the Nürburgring Top 100 list. Both cars are seated above the 2003 Porsche Carrera GT and the McLaren MP4-12C.
"At the same time, the sharpest BMW M4 of all - like its BMW M stablemates - can also hold its own on public roads," said BMW in a press release.
BMW M GmbH revealed that it will produce 700 special limited edition M4 GTS as its tribute to the BMW M3's 30 years in production, which started in 1986. Furthermore, with the production of the limited edition, the company also puts the spotlight on the M technology innovations, for powertrains, lightweight construction front and chassis, that are pioneered by BMW M engineers.
The German automobile manufacturer also announced that it will be releasing 300 out of the 700 M4 GTS special limited edition to the North American market. This is the company's first venture, with the high-performance special editions of M3/M4 line, in North America.
"Special-edition models like the BMW M3 GT, BMW M3 CSL, BMW M3 GTS and BMW M3 CRT have a decades-long tradition in our mid-size line-up - and that continues with the BMW M4," said BMW M GmbH CEO Frank van Meel. "Owners can drive their BMW M4 GTS to circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring or Laguna Seca - for clubsport events, for example - and then set lap times there that raise the bar to extremely high levels for road-legal cars."
The M4 GTS is powered by the same 3.0L six-cylinder in-line turbo engine found at the heart of BMW's M3/M4 offerings. However, the GTS is fitted with BMW's proprietary water injection technology, which significantly raises the output to 500 hp. The average M4 has 425 ponies, which is still more than what most cars have.
The addition of a water-injection system also raised the torque to 442 lb-ft. It hits a top speed of 189.5 mph and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Even with all the performance increases however, according to BMW, the car still keeps a respectable 34 mpg.
"This makes the BMW M4 GTS the most agile, radical and dynamically potent model in the range," said BMW.
The vehicle's agility is furthered by the lightweight materials that were used. The center console, rear seat paneling, boot area partition, doors and even the side panels are all made of lightweight material. The bucket seats are carbon fiber. The bonnet, adjustable splitter and roof are all composed of CFRP (carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic). The rear wing is machined aluminum. The result is an M4 with a DIN curb weight of 1.510 metric tons
"Its outstanding weight-to-power ratio of 3.0 kg/hp provides the perfect platform for a highly dynamic driving experience," noted BMW.
The M4 GTS will be shipped out with a seven-speed M DCT (M Double Clutch Transmission) and LED lamps, which will incorporate BMW's Selective Beam and Adaptive Headlights technology.
