DO you remember that cool kid in school that everyone loved, who had cool toys, got good grades and was awesome at sport? Now imagine that kid asked you over to play with their coolest toy, and that toy was the 2021 BMW M4 Competition.
Now imagine that kid’s house was the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. You don’t know if you’ll get the chance to play again so you know you’re going to make the most of it. But at first, you’re a bit hesitant, taking it all in, just by looking around.
You poke and prod and explore as much as you can without getting noticed. It looks different than what you have seen in pictures on the computer or in magazines. It’s then that you remember you were told to never judge a book by its cover.
In most colours, ‘that grille’ is barely even noticeable and boy, it’s not going to stop you from enjoying everything the 2021 BMW M4 Competition has to offer. Now though, is the time you have been waiting for.
You, the BMW M4 and one of the world’s great racetracks, Phillip Island. Of all the toys and playgrounds to enjoy them, this is right up there. Made all the better thanks to a cracking day of clear skies and warm weather, perfect for our play time.
To say it lives up to expectations is an understatement. It’s all you could have hoped for and more. It’s packed with 353kW and 550Nm in the M4, and 375kW and 650Nm in the M4 Competition we tested.
You’d be forgiven for thinking all that power might make playtime a bit stressful for fear of it getting away from you. That is not the case. It’s planted and predictable.
Its M-specific chassis and extra bracing elements afford the M4 an extremely stiff body structure, which enables it a very high level of ability when on the track. Adaptive M suspension with Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus modes help to tailor the play experience.
Play is the operative word here, because no matter what mode you choose, the M4 will leave you with a huge smile on your face.
Whether it’s the sheer relentless push of the 3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbo engine, or the huge level of grip it provides at full tilt through any one of Phillip Island’s picturesque sweeping corners, you’ll be hard pressed to jump out of the M4 without an emoji style smile.
Pricing starts from $149,900 for the M4, with the M4 Competition asking a $10k premium on top of that. For an additional $26,000, BMW have created the M Carbon Package (which we definitely recommend) for the M3 and M4 models.
This combines the M Carbon ceramic brakes, M Carbon bucket seats and M Carbon exterior package at a significant discount over the cost of buying each individually.
We have to say, the 2021 BMW M4 Competition more than lives up to the hype. And the best bit is, the cool kids at BMW are letting us borrow the M4 for a week soon.
Our test vehicle was provided by BMW Australia as part of a track-based launch event at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. To find out more about the 2021 BMW M4 Competition, contact your local BMW dealer.
