2026 BMW M4 Is A Corner-Carving Triumph

The BMW M4 is the spiciest version of the two-door 4 Series. Available as a coupe or convertible, the M4 makes 473 horsepower in base form and as much as 523 hp in its top-spec Competition xDrive trim. Based on the same platform as the 3 Series, the M4 is a relatively compact luxury performance coupe with room for four passengers. But you don't buy an M4 to schlep people around — you buy one to carve up twisty backroads and explode out of corners. At both of those tasks, the M4 excels. Acceleration from the twin-turbocharged inline-six engine is more than adequate, with an M4 sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds in our testing. Meanwhile, the standard adaptive suspension offers exceptional cornering while providing a comfortable ride. The M4 is also plenty luxurious inside, with a leather interior, heated front sport seats, and an impressive-looking digital instrument cluster that flows seamlessly into the touchscreen infotainment system.

With the discontinuation of the Audi RS 5 coupe, there aren't many high-performance personal luxury two-doors left to consider. Currently, the M4's most direct competitor is the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53, but it makes less power and is only available in all-wheel drive. If having four doors isn't a deal-breaker, the 671-hp plug-in hybrid AMG C 63 S E Performance is a potent rival, and of course there's the M4's four-door sibling, the M3. If you want two doors but don't need back seats, your options open up a bit. The Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche Cayman and Mercedes-AMG GT coupe are all worth a look.

The 2026 BMW M4 is a versatile performance machine. The base M4 features a six-speed manual transmission paired with rear-wheel drive. It has the least horsepower, but it's arguably the most fun to drive because of those two attributes. Then you have the Competition model, which maintains a rear-wheel-drive layout but adds an eight-speed automatic and more power and torque, among other performance upgrades. The M4 Competition xDrive adds all-wheel drive and even more power to the mix.