BMW M4 G82 - Anyone Have One?

Thinking about ordering a 2025 model, wondering if anyone has first-hand knowledge and experience with the car, quality, long term viability (2025 will be the 5th year for this model), problems, etc. And yes, I like the front grill so no opinions needed there.

The list of manual transmission cars is short and getting shorter, so I want to move on this before BMW refreshes the model and does away with the manual altogether and goes fully dct (or worse, electric).

 

Figured I'd give an update. These are my own opinions, I'm not trying to insult anyone's ride.

Test drove the M2 and M4 manuals at the local dealer, nice cars. The motors were smooth, the manual shifters felt good although the M2's arm rest under my right elbow felt a little high. The drive trains are identical between both models. The M4's exterior design is more or less BMW smooth curves and what you'd expect. I liked the front grill. The M2's exterior was boxy and more provocative or less BMW-ish, and the front grill you either like or not. Where I felt both fell down for me were the interiors....too much plastic finishes and that single, curved, wide and stubby screen was not appealing to me.

Then we took an M850 convertible for a test drive; 500hp+ v8, the interior was exceptionally nice, the instrument screen was separate from the center screen which was more appropriately sized and placed on the top center of the console for the nav and radio, etc. This car was totally different than the M2/4, it was a cruiser, very easy to drive and very relaxing or non-competitive (meaning, you didn't have a sense of competition like you did in the M2/4). So comfortable I sort of felt like driving with my left wrist on the wheel and leaning over the console so only my eyes peered over the dashboard - like I told a buddy of mine it almost reminded me of being back in Brooklyn in the mid 70's driving a Buick Riviera.

So then we headed over to the Mercedes dealer to test drive an AMG CLE 53. While no manual gearbox option is available, at the $85-90k price point like the M4, Mercedes flat-out nailed the interior, it was equally exceptional as the BMW's M850 interior. Everything was very high quality and the instrument binnacle was separate from the nav/radio screen at the top of the center console. The exterior design was German Muscle Car with the front grill and rear end being very sexy. The drive was sort of a cross between the M4 and M850 - being an automatic there was less driver involvement, but the sound and feeling of the motor and hp and torque was similar to the M2/4.

All 4 cars we test drove were less "aggressive" than my current 2019 911, meaning less noisy, much smoother ride, and a couple inches taller off the ground so they were easier for my wife to get in/out of (the reason why I started this research). This would be a DD for me to replace my 911, although I don't drive too much anymore I'm looking at some options to make my wife more comfortable but don't necessarily have to make a change, although being back in something brand new would be nice with the warranty and all.

Net-net, no decision at this point.

 

I found when looking at 4-5 cars in one morning, they start to blend into one another and it's difficult to clearly recall later on the options amongst the brands and models. So I went for a 2nd look and test drive of the AMG CLE 53. It was everything I remembered from the 1st test drive, but, I realized that its "windshield wiper" type of stalk to get it into and out of PARK was silly. Yes, the interior was plush and the drive was both powerful and compliant, it was much less of a driver's car than my current 911.

So I waited a week and the BMW dealer contacted me to let me know they had a <10000 mile 2024 M4 come in on a trade and offered me a look. This was a much higher optioned car than the original M4 I saw and drove. And the interior on this one was just as nice as the AMG. While the BMW doesn't offer a steering wheel powered adjustment like the AMG, it does have the gearbox controls on the center console (whether you go manual or auto) and so it it felt more like a sports coupe to me than a luxury coupe like the AMG. Otherwise the interiors were pretty much on par with each other aside from the screens. I spent a lot of time on that single curved screen in the BWM - both before and during the test drive. And I get it now. It brings everything up to just under eye level, so you're never looking down and away from the road.

If I make a change, I'm leaning more towards the M4 at this point.....

 

So it took 8 months or so, but here's what I did. I waited for the dealer to give me an allocation, which came at the end of March, and ordered a Z4M40.

It was fun spec'ing it the exact way I wanted it, it was built end of May, shipped over a couple weeks later, and I picked it up end of June. There aren't many options for a 2-seater roadster with a manual gearbox anymore, so I'm glad I pulled the trigger as there's some back-and-forth on if BMW will continue this model.

It's a hec of a lot of fun to drive, quick enough to get into trouble but not insane. The interior is really nice, the exhaust has a nice note to it and my wife loves it - so all boxes checked.

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It's the 1st time I'm back in a BMW since the end of the 90s, so the color scheme I went with is a homage to my 1st BMW which was a 1994 325i in Silver/Black which was a 4 door coupe that I daily drove. My kids were small at the time and loved it, it left an impression mostly on my younger son who recently bought a 1986 320es which he's in the process of restoring