BMW Z4 M Coupé as motor racing kit.
Press release, 02/28/2006
The first BMW two-seater for Nordschleife fans and international customer teams.

Munich/Geneva, 27th February 2006. Unveiling in Geneva: On the occasion of the Automobilsalon, Prof Dr Burkhard Göschel, BMW Group Board Member Purchasing and Development, introduced a new racing car for customer motor racing. The Motorsport Version of the BMW Z4 M Coupé, which has already made a big impression as a production model, is the first two-seater BMW Motorsport offers for customer teams. When it came to the development, BMW faced a huge challenge: The car had to have what is needed to race successfully on the world's most demanding and spectacular racetrack, the Nürburgring's famous Nordschleife. The new motorsport coupé can be used by private BMW customer teams in the German Endurance Championship and in the Nürburgring 24-Hour Race.

The power unit of the beefy coupe is a BMW Motorsport designed 3.2-litre in-line 6-cylinder engine delivering about 400bhp, with the suspension area in particular benefiting from the knowledge gained from the successful BMW M3 GTR project.

With its varied component ranges, BMW Motorsport and BMW Racing Parts Distribution offer customer teams a new technology platform for use in many miscellaneous international racing and club sport series, with the Nordschleife enthusiasts not being the only interested party, as the brawny coupe also represents the perfect car for use in the Belgian Belcar series and other, non-European, endurance series.

The kit can be ordered from May 2006 at BMW Motorsport and will be available for an estimated € 250,000 (plus VAT).

Technical Data BMW Z4 M Coupé Motorsport Version
Length: 4415 mm
Width: 1880 mm
Wheelbase: 2493 mm
Front & Rear Overhang: 865 mm/774mm
Rear Wing Width: 1504 mm
Front & Rear Ground Clearance: 80 mm/90 mm
Front & Rear Tyres: Michelin 27/65-18, 28/71-18
Front Brake: Grey cast iron disc dia. 380 mm / 6 pot fixed calliper
Rear Brake: Grey cast iron disc dia. 320 mm / 4 pot fixed calliper
Drive Line: sequential 6-speed gearbox, sintered clutch
Engine Layout: six cylinder in line
Cylinder Capacity: 3246 cc
Bore x Stroke: 87 x 91 mm
Compression Ratio: 12,5:1
Max. Power: approx. 400 PS at 8200 rpm
Max. Torque: approx. 400 Nm at approx. 5750 rpm
Max. Revolutions per minute: 8400 rpm
Cylinder block: one-piece construction
Crankshaft: forged steel part
Piston: forged slipper skirt piston
Con-rod: Steel
Cylinder head: Aluminium, four valves per cylinder
Valve train: Two chain driven overhead camshafts with variable valve timing
Intake System: Six single throttle valves, Carbon fibre Air box with resonance induction optimised inlet pipes
Exhaust System: Multiple pipe manifold with silencer and catalytic converter
Lubricating System: Wet Sump Lubrication
Cooling System: Water / Air cooler
Flywheel: Steel
Fuel System: Inlet-Pipe Injection, one Injector per Cylinder, 5 bar injection pressure
Fuel: 5-star lead-free petrol, ROZ min=98
Fuel Tank Volume: 120 litres
Minimum Weight: 1200 kg in Nürburgring Specification

Engine Management System: BMW Motorsport ECU406 with two powerful microprocessors, Ethernet Interface and four CAN busses; Cylinder selective optimized Injection and Ignition; Pit-Speed-Limiter; Quick-Shift; Engine Log Book; Electronic Throttle Control; VANOS Control; Race ABS; Traction Control.
Energy Management: Distribution and Control of the electric energy through the BMW Motorsport POWER400 Control Unit; Networking of all Sensors and Actuators through a CAN Bus.

Electric loom: Weight optimised
Ignition coils: Six high performance pencil-type ignition coils with integrated ignition driver.
Sparkplugs: NGK high performance Sparkplugs
Instruments: Free programmable LCD Display with integrated shift lights
Steering-wheel: multiple function Steering-wheel with Quick-Release mechanism and display control

Highs: Race-car reflexes, race-car brakes, race-car punch, Bangle-ish styling.

Lows: Race-car ride, noisy interior, Bangle-ish styling.

The Verdict: A serious sports car for BMW clubbies and autocrossers. Boulevard poseurs need not apply.

Is more always better? We confront this question regularly, and when it comes to horsepower, we can usually be relied on to answer with a resounding, “Bring it on!”

But we do temper this response with a few provisos. After all, more can’t be a one-dimensional deal. That was the lesson of the muscle-car era: cars with an abundance of go but not much ability to change directions and almost no inclination to stop. You get more go, you need more stop. More rubber. More roll stiffness. More chassis rigidity. More of everything.

Meet the new M roadster, the Z4-based sequel to the Z3-based original. With all the required elements of more, including more chassis stiffness, a more-up-to-date suspension system, and more brakes.



BMW excels as no other in the realm of inline-sixes, a heritage dating to its first Sechszylinder back in 1933 — 1173cc, 22 horsepower, propelling the then-new 303 series — and the heart of more here is a 3.2-liter DOHC 24-valve straight-six, with BMW’s Double VANOS variable valve timing and an 11.5:1 compression ratio, the same engine that propels the M3 coupe and convertible. The only distinction is max output, which is down three horsepower, due to slightly more restrictive exhaust plumbing, a consequence of the Z4’s smaller dimensions.

This is not the newest of BMW sixes. The block is iron rather than the aluminum-magnesium metallurgy employed in the sixes that were launched in the latest 3-series sedans. But even so, it delivers plenty of thrust: 330 horsepower at 7900 rpm — just 100 rpm short of redline and the fuel-cutoff rev limiter — and 262 pound-feet of torque at 4900 rpm. That last may sound a little peaky, but most of the torque is available from about 2500 rpm right up to max.

It’s enough punch to propel the M3 coupe to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and through the quarter-mile clocks in 13.6 seconds at 105 mph, according to our comparo of May 2003 (“Compact Adrenaline-Delivery Systems”). That’s pretty brisk, but the 3277-pound roadster is 117 pounds lighter and edges the M3’s progress to 60 (4.6 seconds, which is 0.3 second quicker than BMW’s official forecast) and through the quarter (13.2 seconds at 107 mph).

As always, mass is the enemy, and by way of illustration it’s worth noting that the Z3-based M roadster we tested in August 2001 (“Topless Toys”) weighed 3141 pounds, enough of an advantage to make it a 10th quicker to 60 and through the quarter, even though it had 15 fewer ponies under its hood.

However, all this parsing of 10ths gets to be academic. The M roadster can hunker down and get out of the starting blocks with the best in its class, and if driving a stoplight-wars winner is one of your priorities, we’d be surprised if this car ever proved to be a disappointment.

But how about the other elements of more? That’s where the previous M roadster needed some help — it finished fourth of four in that 2001 comparo — and that’s precisely what it gets in this next-gen offering. In particular, the Z4 chassis is distinctly stiffer than its Z3 predecessor, and the M suspension elements bolted to it are designed for heavier duty. The front track is a half-inch wider than the Z4’s, the forged-aluminum lower control arms locating the bottom end of the struts are essentially the same as those employed in the M3, the hefty steering knuckles are unique to this car, and the M roadster eschews the Z4’s electric steering for a hydraulic-power-assisted rack-and-pinion setup that delivers distinctly better feel, particularly at lower speeds.

At the rear, a multilink arrangement replaces the Z3’s semi-trailing arms, enhanced in the M edition by stronger wheel bearings and heavier subframing, the latter to accommodate BMW’s variable differential lock, which evens out power delivery. The final element in power delivery, as well as turning and stopping, is a set of meaty Continental ContiSportContact tires, 225/ 45Z front, 255/40Z rear, on 8.0-by-18- and 9.0-by-18-inch aluminum rims.

Every element of the suspension tuning — damping, spring rates, anti-roll bars — is distinctly firmer than the Z4 setup, even Z4s equipped with the optional sport suspension. What it all adds up to is a jaunty little roadster with the instincts and reflexes of a cheetah. Turn-in is instantaneous and precise. Body roll is minimal, and transient response seems even more eager than the M3’s, even though the M3 coupe is far from reluctant in this game.

The beefy steering wheel transmits detailed road information to the driver’s hands without a hint of kickback, even on rough surfaces. The flow of sensory data from the helm is augmented by supplemental sensations coming from the operator’s visceral regions. The shifter for the ZF six-speed manual gearbox (the previous M roadster had a five-speed) delivers exceptionally crisp engagements. The brake and throttle pedals are ideally located for heel-and-toe work, and the bucket seats keep the driver (and passenger) firmly anchored during hard cornering.

The sense of car-and-driver connection is strong here, and the Bimmer’s balance is exceptional. Its shorter wheelbase (by 9.2 inches) makes it feel almost twitchy compared with the M3, but once accustomed to the quicker responses, the driver quickly appreciates the faster footwork. The threshold of the dynamic stability-control system is high — there’s not much point in switching it off unless you’re running for max time at an autocross. With DSC disabled, it’s possible to overcome the substantial grip of the rear tires, although this is oversteer of the progressive, predictable variety, rather than the omigod kind that culminates somewhere in the roadside hedges.

Braking performance is superb. This was a strong suit in the previous M roadster, but it’s even more so in the new one. Immense cross-drilled, vented rotors (13.6 inches front, 12.9 inches rear) yield stopping distances of 152 feet from 70 mph, 10 feet better than the old M roadster and pretty close to race-car braking.

Race car is a term that also applies to this roadster’s attributes as an all-around ride. A cheetah isn’t a house cat, and the M roadster isn’t very well suited to ordinary domestic life. The suspension tuning that produces those feline responses yields a ride that doesn’t concern itself much with comfort. It’s not a go-kart. Like all BMWs, there’s at least a modicum of compliance — but it’ll tell the occupants the dimensions of every expansion joint and concrete patch the tires encounter, and 10 miles of nasty surfaces may be enough to make some owners question their purchase decision.

Our only other significant reservation is cabin noise at highway speeds. The roadster’s double-layered power top is quality goods, but it isn’t immune to wind roar, aggravated by additional air currents around the side mirrors. Why a sound system is important in a car such as this is a bit of a mystery.

Beyond the audio and nav systems, though, the roadster’s cabin is pretty austere, which we find refreshing. No frills, no gadgets, no iDrive. The focus is performance. We’re almost equally divided on the styling — love it/hate it, with exec ed Gillies feeling strongly both ways — but we’re all agreed that the M treatment, with its more aggressive wheel-and-tire package and restrained cosmetic tweaks, lends an element of menace that’s absent in the Z4.

With a base price of $52,995, the M roadster competes in a four-car class with the Corvette roadster, Mercedes SLK55 AMG, and Porsche Boxster S, with the Honda S2000 lurking nearby for guys who discover they might like to hang on to some 20 grand and still have a serious sports car. But of the core quartet, the M roadster is arguably the purest iteration of the old British-sports-car ethic: an open two-seater that can, in a pinch, be raced. That means minimal street-car compromises. And like its Z3 predecessor, that’s what the M roadster represents. We just wonder why it took BMW three years to serve it up.

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BMW M ROADSTER

Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
Price as tested: $57,870

Price and option breakdown: base BMW M roadster (includes $695 freight and $1000 gas-guzzler tax), $52,995; Premium package (consists of auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, power seats with driver memory, storage package, cruise control, BMW Assist with Bluetooth, and premium sound system), $2500; navigation system, $1800; heated seats, $500; hardtop prep, $75
Major standard accessories: power windows, seats, and locks; remote locking; A/C; tilting and telescoping steering wheel; rear defroster
Sound system: BMW AM-FM radio/CD player, 10 speakers


ENGINE
Type: inline-6, iron block and aluminum head
Bore x stroke: 3.43 x 3.58 in, 87.0 x 91.0mm
Displacement: 198 cu in, 3246cc
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Fuel-delivery system: port injection
Valve gear: chain-driven double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing
Power (SAE net): 330 bhp @ 7900 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 262 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm
Redline: 8000 rpm


DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Final-drive ratio: 3.62:1, limited slip
Gear, Ratio, Mph/1000 rpm, Max test speed
I, 4.35, 4.8, 38 mph (8000 rpm)
II, 2.50, 8.3, 66 mph (8000 rpm)
III, 1.66, 12.4, 100 mph (8000 rpm)
IV, 1.23, 16.8, 134 mph (8000 rpm)
V, 1.00, 20.7, 159 mph (7700 rpm)
VI, 0.85, 24.3, 159 mph (6500 rpm)

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 98.3 in
Track, front/rear: 58.5/59.7 in
Length/width/height: 161.9/70.1/51.3 in
Ground clearance: 4.0 in
Drag area, Cd (0.38) x frontal area (23.0 sq ft, est): 8.7 sq ft
Curb weight: 3277 lb
Weight distribution, F/R: 50.6/49.4%
Curb weight per horsepower: 9.9 lb
Fuel capacity: 14.5 gal


CHASSIS/BODY
Type: unit construction with a rubber-isolated subframe
Body material: welded steel and aluminum stampings

INTERIOR
SAE volume, front seat: 48 cu ft
luggage, top up/down: 8/7 cu ft
Front-seat adjustments: fore-and-aft, seatback angle, front height, rear height
Restraint systems, front: manual 3-point belts; driver and passenger front, side, and knee airbags


SUSPENSION
Front: ind, strut located by a control arm, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear: ind, 1 trailing arm and 2 lateral links per side, coil springs, anti-roll bar


STEERING
Type: rack-and-pinion with hydraulic power assist
Steering ratio: 15.4:1
Turns lock-to-lock: 3.0
Turning circle curb-to-curb: 34.3 ft


BRAKES
Type: hydraulic with vacuum power assist, anti-lock control, and electronic panic assist
Front: 13.6 x 1.1-in vented, cross-drilled disc
Rear: 12.9 x 0.8-in vented, cross-drilled disc


WHEELS AND TIRES
Wheel size: F: 8.0 x 18 in, R: 9.0 x 18 in
Wheel type: cast aluminum
Tires: Continental ContiSportContact; F: 225/45ZR-18, R: 255/40ZR-18
Test inflation pressures, F/R: 32/32 psi
Spare: none




C/D test results
ACCELERATION: Seconds
Zero to 30 mph, 1.7
40 mph, 2.6
50 mph, 3.6
60 mph, 4.6
70 mph, 6.1
80 mph, 7.6
90 mph, 9.2
100 mph, 11.4
110 mph, 13.8
120 mph, 16.6
130 mph, 20.1
140 mph, 25.8
150 mph, 32.9
Street start, 5–60 mph: 5.1
Top-gear acceleration, 30–50 mph: 8.9
50–70 mph: 6.9
Standing ¼-mile: 13.2 sec @ 107 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 159 mph


BRAKING
70–0 mph @ impending lockup: 152 ft


HANDLING
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.90 g
Understeer: minimal moderate excessive


FUEL ECONOMY
EPA city driving: 16 mpg
EPA highway driving: 24 mpg
C/D-observed: 16 mpg


INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL
Idle: 54 dBA
Full-throttle acceleration: 82 dBA
70-mph cruising: 74 dBA

From the outer rim of its thick steering wheel, to the very tips of its quad exhaust pipes, the Z4 M Coupe feels like it was built for people who got bored. Bored of cars that don't feel fast, and bored of cars where the basic thrill of driving has been deleted in favour of sheer pace, sidelined by compensatory electronics.

But not the Z4 M Coupe - it's an old-school streetfighter; a little bit scary but all the better for it, and even more of a joy because it was spawned in one of the last places you'd expect: BMW.

Of course, the M division makes some awesome machinery, but it can retain a sense of aloofness that robs its creations of character. Super-competent cars for the average driver. So welcome the Z4 M Coupe; a genuine successor to the original, Z3-based M Coupe.

And it's so much more than just a Z4 M Roadster with a roof. Yes, it shares some of its lines, and the same spiral of DNA, but there's more charisma within its double-bubble roof and flat-topped haunches.

It has a big boot under that hatchback rear and makes the most of the long-front, short bum Coupe packaging. In broad terms, it just looks good - because it has at last sorted that exuberant shape.

Of all the cars based on the wobbly trail blazed by Chris Bangle, the Z4 makes the most sense. The Z4 Coupe, as it turns out, most of all.

Mounted under that long bonnet is the 343bhp, 269lb ft straight-six from the current M3, breathing and responsiveness ably assisted by BMW's current double VANOS valve-timing conjuring.

It brings respectable figures for a car weighing just five kilos shy of 1500kgs - 0-62 in five seconds and the usual limited 155mph.

Fire it up and there's a deliciously bassy rumble from the rear of the car, reverberating through a cabin lifted from the Z4 Roadster, albeit enclosed beneath a particularly spacious roof.

You do tend to look downwards through the rear windscreen rather than straight back out, limiting rearwards visibility to 50 yards or so, but it's a minor downside to a focused and supportive driving position.

The steering wheel has that peculiarly thick BMW thing going on, small in diameter and broad through your palms, but the controls suit the car's brawny feel. The clutch is immediate but not overly heavy, the gearbox direct but uncomplicated in its action.

First to second feels a touch too long - smash your way through the gate when attempting to match that 0-62 time and you might well find yourself crunching a few thousandths of an inch off the cogs - but once you get going, it zips through all six speeds.

From the outer rim of its thick steering wheel, to the very tips of its quad exhaust pipes, the Z4 M Coupe feels like it was built for people who got bored. Bored of cars that don't feel fast, and bored of cars where the basic thrill of driving has been deleted in favour of sheer pace, sidelined by compensatory electronics.

But not the Z4 M Coupe - it's an old-school streetfighter; a little bit scary but all the better for it, and even more of a joy because it was spawned in one of the last places you'd expect: BMW.

Of course, the M division makes some awesome machinery, but it can retain a sense of aloofness that robs its creations of character. Super-competent cars for the average driver. So welcome the Z4 M Coupe; a genuine successor to the original, Z3-based M Coupe.

And it's so much more than just a Z4 M Roadster with a roof. Yes, it shares some of its lines, and the same spiral of DNA, but there's more charisma within its double-bubble roof and flat-topped haunches.

It has a big boot under that hatchback rear and makes the most of the long-front, short bum Coupe packaging. In broad terms, it just looks good - because it has at last sorted that exuberant shape.

Of all the cars based on the wobbly trail blazed by Chris Bangle, the Z4 makes the most sense. The Z4 Coupe, as it turns out, most of all.

Mounted under that long bonnet is the 343bhp, 269lb ft straight-six from the current M3, breathing and responsiveness ably assisted by BMW's current double VANOS valve-timing conjuring.

It brings respectable figures for a car weighing just five kilos shy of 1500kgs - 0-62 in five seconds and the usual limited 155mph.

Fire it up and there's a deliciously bassy rumble from the rear of the car, reverberating through a cabin lifted from the Z4 Roadster, albeit enclosed beneath a particularly spacious roof.

You do tend to look downwards through the rear windscreen rather than straight back out, limiting rearwards visibility to 50 yards or so, but it's a minor downside to a focused and supportive driving position.

The steering wheel has that peculiarly thick BMW thing going on, small in diameter and broad through your palms, but the controls suit the car's brawny feel. The clutch is immediate but not overly heavy, the gearbox direct but uncomplicated in its action.

First to second feels a touch too long - smash your way through the gate when attempting to match that 0-62 time and you might well find yourself crunching a few thousandths of an inch off the cogs - but once you get going, it zips through all six speeds.

So the basics are there, and that's about it. The Z4 M Coupe is almost as interesting for what it hasn't got as for what it has. There are no power output options, gearbox settings, damper controls or flashy electronics.

Traction control and cornering stability control are present, but deleted with a single stab of the dash-mounted button. Another quick digit poke and the 'Sports' mode can be engaged - an engine map tweak which makes the 3.2-litre six rev harder and respond more immediately to the throttle. Essentially, it's a sharpening tool.

Unlike the M5 or M6, the Z4 M Coupe feels back-to-basics, and is so much the better for it. It rides on normal tyres, not BMW-issue runflats, the M-dept preferring to tweak the suspension rather than try and compensate for a lack of sidewall flexibility.

The result? The Coupe rides very agreeably indeed. It still feels thumpy on a broken surface, but it very rarely crashes or bounces.

And the handling benefits are obvious; switch the DSC off and the Coupe will roll into a corner, leaning progressively over until the front begins to lose grip and understeer starts to draw you to the outside of the corner. All very nice and safe.

But this is where the fun bit starts; prod the throttle midway through and the car will balance itself out with the kind of lairy grace a Roadster can only dream of, the M-differential lock providing the progressive push that builds supreme confidence. Press harder and the Z4 M Coupe is the hooligan you always hoped for.

It's not a particularly fast way around a corner, but slithering around in a car that lets you take enormous liberties is damn good fun. Lob it in, third gear, understeer, stab, oversteer, oversteer, oversteer, laugh like a loon.

The steering is always on the money, the car never snaps that extra 10 degrees which makes the difference between hero and idiot, and the howling, metallic engine always seems to have revs to spare.

Driven properly, it's very quick rather than devastating, but an enormously engaging car nonetheless. The engine spits its way around to the 8,000 rev limiter, never out of puff, never going soft.

The suspension saves you from the road's worst excesses but transmits need-to-know through wrists and back. It's not delicate, but it's the most joyous wrestling match to come out of BMW since the E30 M3.

The Z4 M Coupe is all brawn and excitement, flicking an unrepentant V at those people who just travel at speed rather than really 'drive'.

If you're after surgical precision, this isn't the car for you. But if you fancy getting a bit of blood back into your system, then the Z4 M Coupe will do it. This is the car that just revived BMW's soul.

It might not be the most elegant BMW ever, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of ugly when it has an engine and drivetrain like this. And its bits have been arranged by people who really like driving cars. These days, when emotion is getting rarer in car design, the Z4 M Coupe delivers an overdose of it. A welcome relief in 2006.

Tom Ford

2006 BMW Z4 M COUPE
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $49,995
POWERTRAIN: 3.2-liter, 330-hp, 262-lb-ft I6; rwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3230 lbs
0 TO 60 MPH: 4.9 seconds (mfr.)
FUEL MILEAGE (EPA COMBINED/AW OBSERVED): 19.6/21.1 mpg

In the first test of BMW’s Z4-based M Roadster earlier this year (“Wild Child,” March 20), we wondered what the coming M Coupe would be like to drive. The M Roadster is such a joy despite its so-so looks, and the air of anticipation hung heavy after seeing this Frankfurt show concept; we were further teased when the production Coupe debuted in the spring at the Geneva motor show.

After a months-long wait, would the car meet expectations? Yes.

As suspected, the stiffer Coupe chassis delivers a better driving experience on the road and at the track than does the Roadster. Add its curvaceous, sensuous styling, reminiscent of sports cars of old—think a small, angular Cobra Daytona—and it’s a lustful combination. The M Coupe could be the best-looking Chris Bangle-era BMW.

An M Coupe has been missing from the BMW lineup since 2002, when the Z3-based car ceased production prior to the Z4 launch. The old coupe’s styling, with its basketball-shoe silhouette, may have left much to desire, but the car was great to drive.

Doubts about this design were quickly put to rest on a drive from Wisconsin back to the home office. At fuel stops and restaurants, onlookers launched questions and the curious came for closer looks, but all of them gave it high praise.

The mechanical specs for the M Coupe are identical to those of the M Roadster. The same 3.2-liter straight-six in the M3 mounts beneath the M Coupe’s long, bulging hood. The high-revving engine makes peak power near the top of the rev range, with a maximum 330 hp coming at 7900 rpm and 262 lb-ft at 4900 rpm. With 80 percent of the torque available from 2000 rpm, the engine isn’t as peaky as Honda’s S2000.

BMW’s double VANOS variable valve timing along with six throttles and a low-pressure exhaust system make this possible. The power gets to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

The car weighs 33 pounds more than the Roadster, but despite that slight penalty BMW says the 0-to-60-mph times are identical, 4.9 seconds. While engineers saved weight wherever they could—aluminum hood, cross-drilled brake rotors, aluminum suspension pieces—they used a cast-iron block mated to an aluminum head. The cast-iron’s strength allowed BMW to get the displacement without lengthening the engine.

The front/rear weight ratio is nearly 50:50 (50.2/49.8), giving it a balance easily felt while negotiating Road America’s 4.0-mile, 14-turn racetrack (BMW installed a chicane before the kink to add a couple of turns to the normal layout).

With precise steering, short-throw gearbox, quick acceleration and outstanding brakes, the M Coupe is a race car in which you can also commute. It is comfortable in both worlds, with each experience a memorable one. With 18-inch sport rubber all around, the ride is sports car-firm—and it can be a bit harsh over rough pavement. But even after a late-spring Midwestern thunderstorm doused the racetrack, the M Coupe remained easy to drive quickly and confidently.

BMW also had M6s on hand for track lapping, and despite a whopping horsepower difference—the M6 V10 makes 500 hp—the M Coupe remains the most fun to toss into corners and point toward apexes. The M Coupe lacks iDrive and an M button, the programmable driver preference switch found on the M5 and M6. It does have a Sport button to quicken throttle response, though in everyday driving there is little difference between Sport and Normal modes.

BMW has filled the M Coupe with several other driver-friendly features as well. Dynamic Stability Control works with the M’s variable differential lock to maximize traction. This allows for a bit of wheelspin before applying the brakes to help gain traction.

This latest version of DSC gets a brake-drying feature, a system mated to rain-sensing wipers where the brake pads are periodically brought to the rotors to dry them automatically. Start-off assist keeps the M Coupe from rolling backward when stopped uphill; and a modulated ABS function smooths out braking response when the antilock system kicks in.

While track time is fun, the M Coupe easily handles daily duties. The rear hatch can swallow a set of golf clubs and another soft-sided bag, so a week’s worth of groceries (for a small family) should be no problem. The cockpit features a thick, leather-wrapped M steering wheel with redundant radio controls, and wraparound sport seats are highly adjustable to allow for several different, comfortable driving positions.

The three-year-plus wait for this M Coupe has been worth it. With its sleeker style, the new model lacks the funkiness of its predecessor but is packed with more driving enjoyment. At $49,995, that pleasure does not come cheap, but the M’s closest German performance competitor, the Porsche Cayman S, stickers for $58,900, so maybe the BMW price is not out of line.

If you think of the M Coupe as two cars really—a track-day car and a daily driver—it’s even more palatable. At $25,000 per driving joy, that’s a downright bargain.

A photographer managed to snap a single photo of a prototype BMW Z4 Coupe with disguise on its roof. According to spy master Hans G. Lehmann, the camouflage is hiding a large glass roof similar to that of a Porsche 911 Targa. The Z4 Coupe has only been on the market since the middle of this year, and it appears a second variant may already be in the works.