BMW M4 goes on holiday

I know, I should have done the road test on my long term BMW M4 Coupe by now, but life keeps throwing curve balls in this regard.

Firstly, I waited for all the BMW M performance goodies, increased speed limiter software and exhaust to be fitted in order to be 100% sure of the levels of performance when I did finally test – even though BMW claim no performance gains from them.

Then I had to go on a last minute work trip to Germany and this meant I had no time or print space to run the road test at the end of last year as I wanted to.

By that time the holidays were upon us and I thought: what the heck, why not use the M4 to go on holiday in and see if this very dynamic and fast car can actually chill out on a long very speed restricted road?

My girls said there is no way the coupe would be able to handle all their luggage and, I have to agree, I had my doubts too as they had to have outfits for every occasion and then a back-up outfit for that outfit.

But the boot on the M4 is surprisingly large at 445 litres and we were able to fit more luggage into the BMW than we were able to fit into the Urban Crossover we had parked in the garage.

This is a confirmed fact, as I had to do a physical test. If all the luggage could not fit in the BMW, we were going on holiday in the crossover… and I so rather wanted to drive the M4.

Another key area on a 700km trip to the South Coast is interior space and comfort, and here the M4 Coupe was good once again. This car is a proper four-seater coupe with more than enough space in the rear for my girls.

Trust me, if they weren’t comfy it was back to the Crossover. Of course me being comfortable was also important as I had all the driving to do.

On our dangerous Wild West non-policed roads you need to be on your A game if you want to arrive anywhere unscathed.

The front seats take their visual inspiration from the bucket seats fitted in racing cars and feature a full-size single-piece back panel and proved to be good for long distances.

Despite their undeniably sporty design, the BMW M sports seats can be specified as an option with comfort-enhancing features including electric adjustment, which the test car has.

On the seat surface the stitching, upholstery segmentation and perforation lend the seats a slim feel. The BMW M logo on the seat backrests adds a new, very cool and exclusive highlight just for good measure.

The interior is both exclusive and functional in equal measure. Drivers of the M4 can look forward to piloting their car from behind a double-spoke M leather steering wheel, with the M logo, chrome trim and colour contrast stitching all central elements of the interior’s racing ambience.

The optional third generation seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission, that sets the benchmark in terms of power and racetrack capability, does not compromise on everyday usability.

It allows for auto shifting and longer gear ratios that deliver the efficiency gains you would expect as a result, perfect for the long road.

Talking of efficiency, the M4 doesn’t ever really get its average claimed fuel consumption figure of 8.3 litres per 100km, but no modern car does these days, thanks to the antiquated EU method of proving claimed fuel consumption.

This is set to change to a more realistic test in the coming months. My test car has averaged 11.42 litres per 100km in the eight months I have had it, which, most owners of these cars will agree, is far closer to reality.

But on the open road down towards the coast and driven within the posted speed limits, I did manage to get around 8.0 litres per 100km. That was better than I was getting with the crossover now parked in the garage.

The car also comes with one of the best, in terms of feel and feedback, electromechanical steering systems. It features an integrated Servotronic function that electronically adjusts the level of steering assistance according to the car’s speed.

At a touch of a button Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes allow the level of steering assistance to be adapted to suit the situation at hand and personal taste.

If there was one option I would opt for on the M4 and spend the money, it would be the Adaptive M suspension that likewise comes with Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes.

This allows you to choose between a more comfortable damper setting for relaxed open road driving and a stiffer set-up for dynamic driving on twisty type roads. The third option minimises body movements and maximises dynamic performance for use on the track.

Without this option the car defaults to a rather firm ride, as would be expected from a machine that can lap a track at a pace that will humble many bonafide race cars.

So for a road that is speed trap infested and mostly straight, the crossover would have been the softer option. But I had no complaints from my passengers.

The BMW, needless to say, also comes with a wide variety of optional driver assistance systems and mobility services introduced under the BMW ConnectedDrive banner. Among the highlights are a new generation of the navigation system, Professional, offering extra capability, sharper graphics and 3D elements for the map display.

There is Driving Assistant Plus, which warns you of a looming collision with a pedestrian, an intelligent anti-dazzle LED High Beam Assistant and Active Protection with Attention assistant.

The Head-Up Display has additional, M-specific functions, such as a gear display, rev counter and optimum shift indicator. The cruise control allowed me to dial in a trap-friendly speed and relax all the way down to the coast, with plenty of power in reserve when needed.

So what started out as a “you gotta be crazy, this is a race car for the road” moment resulted in us taking the M4 on holiday and it was an absolute pleasure on the open road as a dynamic, slightly firm, family car.