The 2021 BMW M4 Is Fast Enough to Make You Forget Its Ugly Grille
Sometimes an automaker has to step outside the box in order to get attention. After it earned the ire of consumers by, among other things, charging a subscription fee for heated seats, BMW has decided to take another step outside with the 2021 BMW M4 Competition. On the surface at least, BMW might have missed the mark. However, while the new BMW M4 isn’t the prettiest car on the block from the front, it won’t matter. After all, you can’t see the grille if you’re too busy looking at the tailpipes.
Since when did the 2021 BMW M4’s bucktooth grille come into style?
There’s no way around it. The 2021 BMW M4 has a bucktooth grille that could give a beaver a run for its money. The view isn’t so bad from the side, but move around the front, and you’re in for a real treat.
Car and Driver had a lot to say on the subject. Reviewers said, “The most controversial feature of the new M4 lies not beneath its hood but in front of it, where the traditional BMW twin-kidney grille has mutated into something more like a quad-kidney setup. When bisected by a European license plate, the M4 looks like someone copied and pasted the upper grille into the lower fascia. Hey, maybe we’ll appreciate it someday.”
Whether we do indeed grow to appreciate it, the unusual grille probably won’t turn consumers away. But the grille will likely be the last thing on their minds when they take the 2021 BMW M4 out for a test drive.
The overall BMW M4 design is show-stopping
Yes, the grille is a little cringe-worthy. The rest of the 2021 BMW M4 Competition is show-stopping, however.
The body design is phenomenal, with lots of little details like some insanely cool color combinations that help it stand out even more. The interior more than makes up for the outside, with its multiple buttons that really help customize how you choose to drive.
With that being said, the M4 Competition might just have too many buttons. While some of the main controls like the air conditioning are easy to find, others are lost in a wasteland of buttons.
BMW’s iDrive 7.0 infotainment system helps with this, however, with its voice recognition capabilities. Drivers are able to say what they need for many things, rather than trying to shuffle through all those buttons. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also come standard, so connecting your phone is not an issue.
The odd looking grille doesn’t impair performance
Naming the BMW M4 top trim level the ‘Competition’ is more than appropriate. Thanks to its 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six engine, the Competition is able to put out 503 hp and 479 lb-ft. This allows it to go from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3.8 seconds, according to BMW. The German automaker might just be selling itself short, however, since Car and Driver timed it at 3.6 seconds.
The M4 Competition’s top speed is 180 mph. If you’re willing to pay another $2,500 for the M Driver’s Package, anyway. This is on top of the $75,695 starting price. If you aren’t willing to shell out more cash, you’re stuck with a top speed of only 155 mph.
The gas mileage is nothing to brag about with only 19 mpg city, 16 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. This is more worthy of a large SUV rather than a coupe.
Even so, the 2021 BMW M4 Competition is a blast to drive. While you can’t take advantage of its top speeds unless you hit the track, it’s still fun to drive around town. And you’ll be sure to turn heads with that unmistakable grille.
Follow more updates from MotorBiscuit on our Facebook page.
Editor’s note 12/13/2021: Contributing writer: Savannah Keaton
