What's the news?
An even higher-performance version of the startling BMW M4 was always on the cards, but all we needed to know was which three letters would follow its model name - CSL or GTS? Well, GTS has it and this is what it will look like.
Due for a debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance taking place in the US, this is the BMW Concept M4 GTS. but you can drop the Concept from that tag, as BMW has history of making these things into the production versions. Expect it to become a showroom reality some time in 2016.
And it features some forthcoming technology that will make its way into other BMWs besides the M4 GTS - such as water injection (seen on the M4 MotoGP Safety Car and in the direct water injection 1 Series prototype we reviewed) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) rear lights, taking the battle to Audi, which recently announced it was working on the same thing.
Exterior
Finished in Frozen Dark Grey Metallic with Acid Orange details, the GTS features manually adjustable aerodynamics in the form of a front splitter and rear wing - both finished in exposed carbon fibre - while the bonnet is made of carbon too, to keep the weight and centre-of-gravity down. It sits on (somewhat appropriately) 666 M styling 19-inch front and 20-inch rear alloys, shod in super-sticky Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres of 265/35 and 285/30 sizes respectively. The wide front air intake isn't just for show, either, as it minimises lift on the front axle. At the rear, the OLED lights give the Concept M4 GTS a distinctive look at night.
Mechanicals
We have no details on the engine, power or performance as yet, but just one look at it signals the car's specific intent. It is a road car, in essence, but its real strengths will only be unlocked on the circuit; something the brutal Concept M4 GTS displays all too clearly with its towering rear spoiler and super-aggressive stance.
When we drove the M4 MotoGP Safety Car with water injection earlier this year, BMW's chiefs on hand said the tech could hike the M4's power figure from 431hp to something beginning with a '5', so expect that to be the case for the GTS. Torque should also leap from the standard M4's 550Nm to anything in the 600Nm range.
"While the BMW M4 Coupé embodies the ideal combination of motor sport genes and unrestricted everyday usability, the BMW Concept M4 GTS previews an emotionally powerful and exclusive special model conceived with an eye for trailblazing technology and a keen focus on the race track," explains Frank van Meel, president of BMW M Division. "Despite its outstanding track ability, it is still fully road-legal. This is racing technology for the road in the truest sense."
Anything else?
The M4 GTS follows in a long line of stunning special M models - starting with the M3 Evolution (1988), the Sport Evolution (1990), the M3 GT of 1995, 2003's sensational M3 CSL, the old 4.4-litre V8 M3 GTS (2010) and the M3 CRT of 2011.