BMW M4 GTS special-edition limited to just 700 units

BMW M4 GTS test drive: Ultimate driving machine (Photo: BMW)

The BMW M4 GTS is a truly remarkable machine and BMW will only making 700 of them, with just 50 coming to Canada. If you haven’t already spoken to your dealer, I wouldn’t get your hopes up on landing this hot rod in your driveway.

The M4 GTS is a future collectible. Although that doesn’t make its sticker price of $153,000 – roughly double the cost of a standard M4 – any easier to swallow.

Prices of limited-edition sports cars are higher than ever. Porsche proved there was a market for $200,000 versions of a $100,000 car with the 911 GT3 and Porsche 911 R, and the same trends are seen in the used market.

Much of the pricing is undoubtedly driven by the realization that wealthy collectors see cars like this as an investment. It’s also driven by the realization that people will spend whatever it takes to get the ultimate thing—it’s as true in fashion or tech or mansions or Beanie Babies as it is in the automotive realm.

Walkaround

Huge wing? Check. Roll cage? Check. Loud exhaust system made from unobtanium? Check! Orange bits? Well, actually Acid Orange, but yes—check.

The GTS looks like it was drawn and coloured by an overly excited child. It’s got everything but speed lines coming off the back. But everything you see serves an aerodynamic purpose, even that adjustable front splitter and those large hood vents.

The car sits slightly lower than an M4, thanks to the fitment of an exotic, mechanically adjustable coilover suspension system. It’s the sort of tech you’d normally find on a race car.

Overall the car looks positively menacing. Absurd? Yes, but also not really, when placed in the context of other factory hot rods like the Shelby GT350, Jaguar F-Type SVR, and Porsche GT3 RS.

Interior

The race-spec carbon bucket seats you see in these photos are not the same units we’ll be getting in Canada. They don’t meet our safety regulations, apparently. And that’s a shame because they’re exactly the supportive sort of throne you need when trying to pilot a monster like this.

To save weight, the door cards have been replaced by basic plastic items. Even the beam behind the dashboard – a part you’ll never see – has been replaced by lightweight material in an effort to improve lap times. Speaking of which: BMW claims the M4 GTS will lap the Nordschleife in 7 minutes and 28 seconds.

The very orange roll-cage in the back replaces the rear seats. Just in case it wasn’t clear yet: this is not a practical car.

Technology

The defining feature of the GTS is a water-spray injection system. This is what let BMW engineers turn up the turbo boost on the in-line six without melting the pistons. You need to make sure the water tank – located in the trunk – is always topped up with a few gallons of distilled water. (The minerals in tap water will wreak havoc on the engine over time.)

The result? 500 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. That’s a very impressive 100 additional ponies over the M4, and 50 more even than the M4 with Competition Package. It’s a very impressive bit of engineering.

There’s no manual gearbox. A seven-speed dual clutch is your only option.

Performance

The GTS will live and die in the hearts of enthusiasts based on its performance.

The Circuit de Catalunya is among the best of the old Formula One circuits left. It’s narrower than you think in many places, with blind corners over crests and never-ending turns that require a car to balance just beyond the limit of its tires for what seems like an eternity.

And here, the GTS – for all its macho huffing and puffing – is a ballerina. The car dances, even at my clumsy direction. It’s a very intuitive machine to drive, with a perfectly balanced front-engine, rear-drive layout. Information from the tires is all wired to the driver in 4k clarity.

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Speed in a straight line is prodigious as you’d expect but it’s in the corners where the GTS shines. It carries amazing speed. The grip is astonishing, and when it lets go, it’s predictable, and gentle even. It actually feels easier to drive fast than a regular M4.

We only had seven laps to get to grips with an unfamiliar car on an unfamiliar circuit, but the GTS made me feel like a driving hero, even though I’m decidedly not one—and isn’t that what we all want to feel? Some credit is due here to the bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

And did I mention the sound? It’s Beethoven for gearheads. With the titanium exhaust, BMW felt it was no longer necessary to play fake engine sound through the speakers.

Value

You’ve got to conclude that it’s not good value, right? At double the cost of the M4, it is indeed hard to justify. But the fact is there’s a market for cars like this.

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The fact that most GTSs – maybe all by the time you read this – are sold out shows BMW probably could’ve priced this ever higher. Compared to a Porsche GT3 RS, the GTS is a bargain. Compared to a Shelby GT350R, not so much.

Conclusion

If you can’t tell by now—I loved this car. Of all the exotic machinery I’ve driven, it ranks very highly in terms of pure entertainment. It’s a shame there will only be 700.