The M4 is BMW’s two-door performance coupe built around a twin-turbocharged inline-six and a chassis tuned to make every corner feel intentional. It seats four, comes in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, and tops out at 523 hp in Competition xDrive form. The 2027 model carries over from the prior year with no major changes. If you’ve been watching the M4 and waiting for a redesign, this isn’t the year — but the car itself remains one of the most focused driver’s coupes you can buy at this price.
MotoPickers Rating
The M4 earns its performance score the hard way. The twin-turbo inline-six is genuinely strong across all three trims, the chassis communicates what the rear tires are doing, and the manual gearbox option in the base M4 is rare at this price point. For buyers who want to feel connected to the road, this car delivers that in a way few four-seat coupes can.
Where it falls short is everywhere the performance score doesn’t reach. The tech score reflects an infotainment system that lags behind what you’d expect at $83,550 and up. The comfort score reflects a ride tuned for track days, not daily commutes. And the value score is honest: you’re paying a significant premium over similarly powerful alternatives.
This car is built for the driver who buys it to drive it, not to commute in it. If that’s you, the scores below will make sense.
| Category | Score (out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Performance | 8.0 |
| Comfort | 6.3 |
| Technology | 5.3 |
| Value | 5.0 |
| Fun Factor | 6.0 |
What’s New / Updates Over Previous Version
The 2027 BMW M4 is a carryover. BMW hasn’t announced a redesign, a refresh, or any powertrain changes for this model year. The trim structure stays the same across the base M4, Competition, and Competition xDrive, and the engine family carries over unchanged. Reported updates are limited to pricing adjustments and minor equipment details.
If you’re cross-shopping a 2026 and a 2027, the differences are unlikely to justify waiting or paying a premium. The powertrain details are covered under Power and Performance, and the full trim breakdown with current pricing is in the Trim Guide below.
Anyone holding out for a next-generation M4 won’t find one here. What you’re getting is a mature, well-sorted version of the current car — which, depending on your priorities, may be exactly what you want.
Competitors
The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is a plug-in hybrid sedan with more peak power than any M4 trim, but it’s heavier and more expensive. The Audi RS 5 Sportback is the closest direct rival, sharing the same German performance four-door formula, standard all-wheel drive, and similar pricing. The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing offers a manual transmission option and strong chassis tuning at a lower starting price, making it worth a look for drivers who prioritize engagement over badge prestige. The Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 is a two-seater coupe with a sharper chassis focus, but you lose the rear seats entirely.
Exterior Spotlight
The M4 wears its performance intent on the outside. The wide front kidney grille, flared fenders, and quad exhaust tips signal what’s under the hood before you start it. It’s a polarizing shape. The grille in particular has divided opinions since this generation launched, but it reads as purposeful rather than decorative.
Color Options
Eight colors are available: Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic, Brooklyn Grey Metallic, Dravit Grey Metallic, Portimao Blue Metallic, Isle of Man Green Metallic, Toronto Red Metallic, and Twilight Purple Metallic. The greys and black complement the aggressive body lines without drawing extra attention, while Portimao Blue and Isle of Man Green serve as the enthusiast picks, both M-specific colors that look especially strong on the sedan’s wide body. For those who want the car to turn heads, Toronto Red and Twilight Purple make the boldest statements.
Wheel Options
The base M4 rides on 18-inch front and 19-inch rear staggered alloys. The upper trims, the Competition and its all-wheel-drive counterpart, step up to 19-inch front and 20-inch rear. The larger wheels fill the fenders better visually and match the more aggressive tuning of those trims. The trade-off is a firmer ride over rough pavement. The 18/19 setup on the base M4 gives slightly more cushion without sacrificing the car’s overall stance.
Interior Analysis
The M4’s cabin is driver-focused in a way that’s immediately obvious when you sit down. The seat holds you in place, the steering wheel is close, and the controls are arranged around the assumption that you’re here to drive. It’s not a luxury interior in the traditional sense. It’s a performance interior that happens to be well-built.
Features
The 14.9-inch touchscreen runs BMW’s iDrive system and sits high on the dash where you can reach it without leaning forward. It responds quickly to touch inputs, and the menu structure is logical once you’ve spent a few days with it. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included, so you can drop your phone on the wireless charging pad and leave it there. The two front USB-C ports handle charging and data, and the 12V outlet in the center console covers anything that needs a traditional plug.
The digital gauge cluster is configurable and ties into the drive mode system. The display shifts character when you move between modes, showing more performance data in Sport Plus and Track. A head-up display is not available on the M4, which is a real omission at this price. On a fast road, having speed and navigation data in your sightline matters, and you’ll notice its absence.
Satellite radio is included. Rear passengers have no USB ports, which matters if you’re regularly carrying adults on longer trips. The wireless charging pad is available for compatible smartphones, and rear cup holders are present but the rear seat is tight enough that back-seat comfort is limited regardless.
Comfort
The front seats are the real story here, heavily bolstered, heated, and designed to hold you through hard cornering. On a two-hour highway run, that support works in your favor, keeping you from sliding around or constantly readjusting. A heated steering wheel comes standard, which is appreciated on cold mornings, though the absence of ventilated seats on any trim becomes noticeable in summer heat with a dark interior.
The rear seats exist, but they’re best described as occasional-use. At 34.7 inches of rear legroom and 35.8 inches of headroom, any adult over six feet will be uncomfortable on anything longer than a short trip across town. This is a car where the back seats are more useful for a weekend bag or a shorter passenger than for regular adult transport.
Climate control is present, though the specs don’t confirm a dual-zone configuration. The ride, meanwhile, is firm by design, a fixed suspension setup tuned for performance, and it shows on broken pavement. Highway expansion joints and rough city streets transmit more into the cabin than most buyers coming from a standard 3 Series will expect.
Cargo
The M4 offers 15.5 cubic feet of trunk space behind the rear seats, a number that never changes because this is a fixed-configuration sedan with no folding rear seats. To put that figure in perspective, two full-size carry-on suitcases fit comfortably, though adding a third is tight. A standard soft-sided duffel and a set of golf clubs will work, but a large dog crate won’t.
The trunk opens with a conventional lid, no hands-free liftgate, no power assist. You lift it yourself. The opening is wide enough to load luggage without awkward angles, though a present lip means heavy bags need to be lifted over the edge rather than slid in flat. There’s no under-floor storage and no tonneau cover, so what you see is what you get.
For a daily driver that doubles as a weekend track car, the trunk handles a helmet bag, a set of driving shoes, and a change of clothes without issue. A road trip with two adults and real luggage, however, requires deliberate packing.
Power and Performance
The M4 lineup spans three trims within a single engine family, with outputs ranging from 473 hp to 523 hp depending on which version you choose, and the powertrain character shifts meaningfully between them.
Engine Specs
Every M4 uses the same 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six, but the output varies by trim. The base M4 produces 473 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels. The M4 Competition steps up to 503 hp and 479 lb-ft, paired with an 8-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. The M4 Competition xDrive reaches 523 hp with the same 479 lb-ft of torque, uses the 8-speed automatic, and routes power through BMW’s all-wheel drive system.
The manual in the base M4 is a proper 6-speed with a clutch pedal, not a paddle-shift system with a clutch. It’s a genuine three-pedal manual in a segment where that’s increasingly rare. The 8-speed automatic in the Competition trims is a torque-converter unit, not a dual-clutch, which gives it smoother behavior in traffic while still shifting quickly under hard acceleration.
The inline-six configuration keeps the engine compact and allows for a more balanced front-to-rear weight distribution than a V8 would. The 3,979-pound curb weight is on the heavier side for a two-door sedan, but the power-to-weight ratio at every point in the lineup keeps that weight from feeling like a liability.
Performance Data (0-60)
The M4 Competition xDrive covers 0–60 mph in around 3.4 seconds, and to put that in terms you’ll actually feel: from a highway on-ramp, you’re at merge speed before the ramp ends, with room to spare. That kind of acceleration makes passing on a two-lane road feel casual rather than committed.
Helping deliver that performance, the 8-speed automatic in the Competition trims holds gears longer under hard acceleration than it does in normal driving and downshifts quickly when you ask for more power mid-corner. In everyday traffic it’s smooth and unobtrusive, but push it and it responds without hesitation.
The manual in the base M4 puts the acceleration experience squarely in your hands. The 473 hp figure is still strong enough to feel quick in any real-world situation, though the 0–60 time will be slower than the Competition trims and depends heavily on how well you launch it. Drivers who want the engagement of rowing through gears will find the base M4’s manual is the reason to choose it over the Competition, while anyone chasing the fastest version should look at the Competition xDrive instead.
Fuel Economy
The base M4 and Competition both return around 16 MPG city and 23 MPG highway, while the Competition xDrive drops slightly in most conditions to a combined figure closer to 18 MPG. With a 15.6-gallon tank, highway driving yields roughly 350 miles between fill-ups, though city driving cuts that range to around 250 miles.
These are performance car numbers, not economy car numbers, and the EPA figures tell only part of the story. Drive the M4 the way it’s meant to be driven, in Sport Plus mode, with hard acceleration and track sessions, and real-world consumption will run noticeably higher. Budget accordingly, and factor in the premium fuel this engine requires.
Suspension, Braking, and Handling
The M4 runs independent suspension at all four corners with a fixed setup, and there’s no adaptive damping option in the standard configuration. On smooth pavement, this arrangement keeps the car flat through corners and communicates road texture through the steering wheel, but the trade-off becomes apparent on rough city streets or broken pavement, where the ride is firm and potholes and expansion joints come through clearly. This isn’t a car that absorbs road imperfections quietly.
The brakes are strong with a progressive pedal feel, building pressure predictably as you push harder, which makes threshold braking feel controllable rather than abrupt. In an emergency stop from highway speed, the car stops straight and quickly without the nose diving dramatically.
The rear-wheel drive setup in the base M4 and Competition means the rear end is active when you push hard. The car rotates willingly in corners, and the stability control system allows a degree of slip before intervening. The Competition xDrive’s all-wheel drive system tightens that behavior, making it faster out of corners and more planted in wet conditions, though it’s less adjustable for drivers who want to use the rear end deliberately.
At 41.3 feet, the turning radius is wide for a sedan, and parking lots and tight U-turns require more planning than you might expect from a car this size.
Tech Overview
The M4’s tech package is functional and performance-focused, but it doesn’t match the sophistication of some rivals at this price. The infotainment system works well for daily use, and the drive mode system proves its worth on track. What’s missing is notable.
Infotainment and Connectivity
The 14.9-inch touchscreen, approximately among the largest in its class, responds quickly to inputs and anchors an iDrive interface that has improved considerably over the years. Menus are organized logically, with the most-used functions reachable without digging through submenus. Both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work reliably, and the wireless charging pad handles a standard-size phone without issue.
The driver display is fully customizable, showing performance data including g-force and lap timing in the sportier drive modes, while satellite radio and Bluetooth hands-free calling round out the feature set and work as expected. One notable omission, however, is the absence of a heads-up display, a gap that’s hard to overlook at $83,550 and above.
Features / Drive Modes
The M4 offers four drive modes, Efficient, Sport, Sport Plus, and Track, each adjusting throttle response, transmission behavior, steering weight, and stability control intervention thresholds to suit different driving contexts. Efficient mode softens all of these parameters for daily use, while Sport sharpens throttle response and holds gears longer. Moving further up the range, Sport Plus tightens the steering and allows more slip before the stability system intervenes, and Track mode extends the greatest latitude to the driver, though it’s best reserved for closed courses.
On the technology side, adaptive cruise control is available and maintains both set speed and following distance on the highway. Lane keeping assist and lane departure warning are also included, though the lane keeping system’s intervention can feel intrusive during spirited driving on winding roads. Completing the suite, a driver attention monitor watches for signs of fatigue and prompts breaks on long drives.
Safety Capabilities
Based on available data, the M4 has not been rated by IIHS or NHTSA for the 2027 model year. The safety hardware is present and appropriate for the segment, but buyers who prioritize published crash test scores should note the absence of current ratings.
Safety Ratings
No IIHS or NHTSA ratings are available for the 2027 BMW M4 at the time of this writing. BMW has historically performed well in structural testing across its lineup, and the M4’s body structure is shared with the 4 Series platform, which has been tested in prior years. Buyers who want confirmed crash test data should check the IIHS and NHTSA websites directly before purchase, as ratings for the 2027 model year may be published after this guide’s release.
Safety Features
The M4’s six airbags cover front, side, and curtain positions, a layout that protects the driver and front passenger in both frontal and side impacts while extending coverage to rear-seat occupants through the curtain airbags. ABS and electronic stability control come standard, with traction control remaining active across all drive modes, though its intervention threshold shifts depending on the mode selected. Rather than functioning as a standalone configurable setting, the ESC adjusts as part of the broader drive mode system. For families, two LATCH anchor positions in the rear accommodate child seat installation.
Driver Assists
Blind-spot monitoring watches the lanes beside you and signals when a vehicle enters your blind zone during a lane change, making it one of the more useful systems in the car on the highway, particularly given that the M4’s wide C-pillars limit over-the-shoulder visibility, so the warning light in the mirror does real work. When the car drifts across a lane line without a turn signal, lane departure warning issues an alert, and lane keeping assist follows up with a gentle steering correction to bring the car back into line. Adaptive cruise control maintains following distance and speed on the highway, while the driver attention monitor tracks steering patterns and suggests breaks when it detects fatigue.
Additional Safety Features
Rear parking sensors help with tight spaces, and the rearview camera gives a clear view when reversing. A surround-view camera system is not standard, but is available as part of an optional package. That means parallel parking and tight garage entries rely on the rear camera and sensors alone if you skip that option. Rear cross-traffic alert watches for vehicles crossing behind you when reversing out of a parking space, which is useful in busy lots where the rear pillars block your sightline. There are no front parking sensors, so close-quarters maneuvering at the front of the car requires extra attention.
Trim Guide
Three trims, one engine family, and a clear progression from driver-focused to performance-maximized. The choice between them comes down to how you want to use the car and how much all-weather capability matters to you.
Trim and Price
The base M4 starts at $83,550 and is the only trim with a 6-speed manual transmission. It puts out 473 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, drives the rear wheels, and includes leather seating, heated front seats, a 14.9-inch touchscreen, and 18-inch front / 19-inch rear wheels. If you care more about feel and involvement than raw speed, this is your trim, though it is the slowest of the three.
The M4 Competition at $87,950 steps up to 503 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, swaps the manual for an 8-speed automatic, and grows the wheels to 19-inch front / 20-inch rear. Suspension and steering calibration are sharpened over the base car. If you’re not attached to the manual, the Competition is our recommendation. The power jump is noticeable, the automatic is impressively quick under hard acceleration, and the larger wheels suit the car’s proportions well.
The M4 Competition xDrive at $93,050 adds all-wheel drive and bumps output to 523 hp. The xDrive system makes the car significantly more capable in rain and snow, and the extra 20 hp is felt most at the top of the rev range. Buyers in cold climates or anyone who wants the fastest M4 available will find the $5,100 premium over the Competition worthwhile. It’s less adjustable at the limit than the rear-wheel-drive trims, but it’s the most usable M4 across a full calendar year.
Warranty and Maintenance Information
The 2027 BMW M4 comes with a 4-year / 50,000-mile limited warranty and a 4-year / 50,000-mile powertrain warranty. BMW includes 3 years or 36,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance through its BMW Ultimate Care program, which covers oil changes and routine inspections. Roadside assistance is included for 4 years with no mileage limit. Extended warranty and prepaid maintenance options are available through BMW Financial Services.