Say the letter and numbers E30 to any 2 BMW enthusiasts sitting near each other at a café and sit back and watch the never ending conversation blossom just as it would if you asked an NBA fan who is the better basketball player, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. In both cases, neither conversation will have a quick ending and will most likely conclude in an agree to disagree from both café patrons. Hopefully they won’t leave without paying for their lattes leaving you with the tab. And as LeBron will break records and retire and move on just as Michael Jordan did, the next ‘one’ will no doubt start his mission to dethrone the likes of MJ and LBJ and work to make his mark as the GOAT (Greatest of all time).
BMW has long proclaimed their cars as being the ‘ultimate driving machines’. Their version of GOAT in the automotive world offering great handling, powerful and driver oriented cars. Weather you agree or not it is hard to challenge the fact that BMW cars are extremely popular and the M moniker has a cult like following since its inception with the 1987 M3 coupé.
BMW offered a ‘special’ edition of their popular 3 series 30 years ago and slapped an M on the trunk lid representing a more driver focused and spirited version of the 3 series calling it the M3. No one was expecting that to spark the competition from other German automakers to soon develop their own high performance versions of their everyday sedan and coupe variations igniting a completely new market segment to the automotive industry, but it did in a big way. Fast forward to today where you’re able to get mind boggling power output and plush luxury versions of your favourite auto makers.
To commemorate the achievement and success of the 3 series, BMW is releasing a special addition M3 30th anniversary offering, shipped to you straight from their assembly line in Munich Germany. As of 2014 BMW chose to break up their cars into odd numbers representing sedan variations of their vehicles and even numbers representing their coupé vehicles. Cue the 4 series. What would be called the 3 series coupe, has now graduated to its own branding while staying virtually the same as the 3 series in powertrains, options, interiors and performance but with two less doors. For the 2017 model year you have the option of a 430 coupe or the larger engine 440 coupe. With both offering rear wheel or all wheel drive applications. If that doesn’t spin your crank, you can opt for the BMW M4. Offering more power, better handling and bigger breaks than the top of the line 440 coupe, available only as a rear wheel drive however.
Still wanting more? Then you have the option to add on a competition package to your M that adds larger wheels, carbon fibre offerings thru the construction and a special engine tune that boosts the horse power of the regular M from 429, to 444 in the competition package. But hang on, it doesn’t stop there. If you’re still not impressed and wanna make certain that no one in your area will drive by your house in the same car as you on a Sunday afternoon as you sweat under the sun polishing your M4 competition package. You can aim super high and shell out almost double the price of the M4 and go for the mighty M4 GTS. Complete with more weight saving materials, a huge functioning rear spoiler that helps keep the rear end down during high speed cornering, a special engine tune that gets you 40 more BHP than the completion package M4, massive ceramic breaks and even a specially constructed roll bar set up inside the vehicle. Hmm, maybe you were not expecting the price to be double the price of the regular M. So what do we do now then?
BMW has found a way to tap into almost every price gap in their entire line up from their sedans to SUV’s and coupes and offer a vehicle thru every crevice and crack of pricing. Lucky for you it does not stop with the 4 series or the M4. If you like the M4 with the competition package but don’t wish to spend another M4 and step up to the extremely limited 500HP M4 GTS (700 sold out cars of which only 300 will make it to the US). Say hello to the newest addition to the BMW line up. The M4 CS. Another M variation offered by BMW to fill the gap between the $135,000 USD M4 GTS and the $72,000 M4 competition package. With weight saving materials and engineering BMW was able to shave off almost 70 lbs off a standard M4 and boost the power up another 10 BHP from the M4 competition package which means it now makes 25 more BHP than the standards M4 coming in at 454 BHP. It will be offered loaded with all the BMW options that you would usually be charged for in a regular M and offers superior performance and handling to that of a regular M but more daily driver friendly with creature comforts not offered in the GTS such as navigation, a stereo, luxurious leather and alcantara surfaces, usable back seats that are not blocked off with the GTS’s roll bar set up and even door handles. Yes the extreme sport GTS does not have door handles. Pricing will see the M4 CS fall smack dab in the middle of the base M4 and M4 GTS at around $105,000.
The M4 CS made its world debut at the shanghai auto show and is only offered for two years. If you are interested in one, hurry to your local BMW dealer and place your custom order as BMW is hoping that this model will sell out almost as quickly as the real GOAT Michael Jordan shoes do.
