18 hours ago
Tested: 2025 BMW M4 Is Pure and Nearly Perfect (and Pink!)
No tricks, just grip
When it comes to braking and handling, the M4 definitely makes the most of its tires. Even though they are a fairly meaty 275/35ZR19 up front and 285/30ZR20 out back, the M4 uses the excellent but still weather-friendly Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tire. These aren't as sticky as the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, which is currently the darling of enthusiasts, but no one seems to have told this M4.
During our panic braking test from 60 mph, we recorded a stop in just 107 feet. More focused sports cars can usually stop in 100 feet, but the M4 is no slouch. As you'd expect from a sporty BMW, every stop was straight, stable and full of confidence. Tire noise and ABS vibrations were minimal and the braking system feels well-tuned to the Pilot Sport 4S tires. Distances over five panic stops varied a bit more than we'd like (about 4 feet) but driving around our handling loop, the brakes tolerated multiple fast laps without a hint of fade. That last bit about the fade is important because this M4 was not equipped with the costly carbon-ceramic brakes we usually see on BMW M3/M4s. Proof, again, that the standard BMW M hardware is pretty robust.
Around our skidpad, it was more of the same. This rear-wheel-drive M4 showed impeccable manners and felt quite happy to take you right up to its considerable limits without much effort. The end result of our skidpad work was an impressive 1.07 g — anything near 1.1 is serious business. That matched, down to the hundredths of a g, the grip generated by an M3 Competition xDrive we tested just weeks earlier. Even with all its systems turned on, the M4's trajectory can be adjusted with minor steering and throttle inputs. Steering effort is light, as it is feedback, but the latter comes alive once you get very close to the limit of the tires. The front end loses grip in a predictable fashion, and unless you give the M4 a boot full of throttle, the rear end will stay in line. But around our handling loop, the M4 was happy to slide around while remaining easy to drive. Its multi-stage traction control proves useful to drivers who like to work up to the car's limits, but even with fully disabled, you can drive the M4 cleanly without drama. It's a great overall package.
Photos by Keith Buglewicz
