With the new generation M4 Coupe scheduled to make its official entry towards the end of September, BMW M appears to have started working on a more track-focused version. An image has been circulating on the web this week, showing a tester with a stacked center tailpipe layout and a fixed rear wing, and now the same prototype has been spotted again, parked next to the standard M4.
There’s that big fixed
rear wing, for one, but the eye-catcher is no doubt the exhausts. Flanked by
subtle fins added to the rear bumper, the diffuser is also new and incorporates
the central-mounted quad exhaust pipes. A more prominent apron has been added
to the front bumper, and while it is hard to tell from these angles, the front
wheel arches seem to be a bit wider.
Until further proof, we cannot say for
sure whether this is the next M4 GTS, but assuming it is, then expect a host of
other technical improvements too over the M4 Coupe. These will include a
revised chassis, with a firmer suspension set-up, beefier brakes and possibly
minor weight improvements.
The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter
straight-six engine should be tweaked to deliver more horses than in the base
and Competition versions of the M4, where it produces 473 HP and 503 HP respectively. It will be interesting to see
whether the rumored M4 GTS, which could be due late next year, will get the
M-tuned xDrive all-wheel drive system or if it will be offered with rear-wheel
drive setup only, and if the engineers opt for the six-speed manual or
eight-speed automatic transmission.
