BMW Concept M4 Coupe revealed

BMW used the festivities surrounding the annual Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach to serve up a sneak preview of its next high-performance offering in the form of the BMW Concept M4 Coupe. While holding back several pertinent mechanical details about the upcoming production M4 Coupe that will replace the current M3 Coupe in the automaker’s lineup, the Concept M4 Coupe gives a good indication of the styling and character we can expect to see when its successor finally arrives here sometime next year as the 2015 BMW M4.

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Finished in “Aurum Dust” – a golden hue specifically created for this vehicle – the Concept M4 Coupe enhances the basic lines of the 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe with the kind of aggressive performance cues that characterize every BMW M vehicle. Up front, the standard 4 Series face has been recast, gaining a bolder, twin-bar/black-out iteration of the classic BMW dual-kidney grille framed by LED-enhanced headlamps and prominent air intakes that also house the automaker’s wind-channeling Air Curtain vents. Other character-shaping elements include a deeper carbon-fiber front splitter and custom power-dome hood.

That same hard-core edge is equally evident in the Concept M4 Coupe’s profile view. The M gills on its front flanks incorporate turbulence-quelling Air Breather exit ports, while smartly flared fenderwells house bi-colored 20-inch/5-spoke M lightweight alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires. Like other M products, the Concept M4 Coupe is fitted with a CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) roof panel that helps trim weight and lower the center of gravity, plus bespoke side sills that further add to its visual presence. The rear fascia of this BMW-to-be boasts a distinctive dose of M-spec fast flash that parallels the surface and contour design themes found in the car’s front clip. Highlighting the tail tweaks are a unique decklid spoiler lip, custom taillights and a carbon-fiber diffuser that’s separated from the rakish rear apron by two pairs of carbon fiber tailpipes.

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While noting that stopping power of the Concept M4 Coupe will be quite formidable thanks to M Carbon ceramic brakes, BMW was far less forthcoming about what’s lurking under its hood. The best guess is that this one-off and its production follow-up (as well as the upcoming BMW M3 Sedan) will pack a new M-designed 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-6 tuned to produce somewhere around 450-500 horsepower. We expect to hear more about the upcoming 2015 BMW M4 Coupe at the Frankfurt auto show next month.