The premium compact sports coupe hit the assembly line in 2020, building on its four-door sibling, the M3 Sedan, and offering an open-top variant, too.
The German automaker also expanded the family with an M3 Touring, which, sadly, is being kept away from North America.
BMW's original M4 stuck around between 2014 and 2020, and if its lifespan provides any reference for the upcoming M4, then we might see the new one in roughly two years.
Well, if it survives, that is, as certain reports speak of the M4's demise. The hot model might not be the only one to bite the dust after the current generation, as rumors also claim there won't be a regular 4 Series anymore, either.
Nothing is official at this point, and the company has plenty of time to make up its mind about the future of the M4/4 Series lineup.
Even if this could be the end of the line for the 4er, with BMW allegedly not planning to develop a new one based on the CLAR construction, we can expect the i4 Coupe and i4 Convertible to take its place, utilizing the Neue Klasse architecture. Thus, the 4er could live on, after all, albeit with electric power solely.
We'd take this rumor with a grain of salt for now, as BMW does not seem to have taken a decision yet.
Sure, regular coupes and convertibles may not be as popular as they once were, even the track-focused ones like the M4, but we reckon BMW will have a hard time saying goodbye to what is essentially a two-door version of the iconic M3.
On a more positive aspect, other outlets report that the 4er and M4 might not go anywhere after all, and they might survive the current generation.
Therefore, the 4 Series and M4 seem to have a future indeed, and they will stick to fossil fuels, although some sort of partial electrification is expected.
It is still too early to speak about the powertrain that will be employed in the range-topping member of the series, though we expect the output to come very close to the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance.
The latter boasts a combined output of 670 hp (680 ps/500 kW) from its hybridized 2.0L four-pot, does 0-62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 3.4 seconds, and maxes out at 174 mph (280 kph).
By comparison, the current BMW M3 Competition xDrive Sedan enjoys 523 horsepower (530 ps/390 kW) from its 3.0L twin-turbo straight-six.
Despite lacking in the power department compared to the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance, it compensates by being lighter. Thus, it is one-tenth of a second faster.
The RWD M3 Competition Sedan has 503 hp (510 ps/375 kW), and the base M3 comes with 473 hp (480 ps/353 kW). These numbers also apply to the facelifted M4 family, which is just as quick in a straight-line sprint as its four-door counterpart lineup, namely the M3.
We do not know many things about the next-generation BMW M4, not only performance-wise but also design-wise.
It will be interesting to see if the car manufacturer decides to give it a new interpretation of the oversized kidney grille or if the model will feature a smaller one, just like the original M4.
Chances are it will sport muscular wheel arches, fat side skirts, bigger bumpers, a more aggressive diffuser, fresh side trim, and a few other bits and bobs when compared to the upcoming regular 4 Series.
Knowing how BMW's M Division rolls, it is safe to assume that it will get the dedicated M badges, exclusive wheels wrapped in sticky tires, and some bespoke paint finishes.
The company will round things up with a pair of bucket seats inside, a different steering wheel and gearshift lever, exclusive upholstery and trim, and the usual chassis revisions and uprated brakes.
It may be too early to speak about the design of the upcoming BMW 4 Series/M4, but the rendering crowd has already taken a step in this direction.
The sugardesign_1 account on Instagram dropped a few renderings of a so-called BMW Neue Klasse Coupe, whose proportions and overall design make us think of the next-gen 4er/M4.
It's not the prettiest proposal out there, as most aspects need more refining. In fact, it kind of looks like a next-gen BMW M4 / 4 Series Coupe from a dystopian future, and we hope it doesn't have many things in common with the real thing.
The question is: Would you buy it if it had a similar styling? As usual, we invite you to comment down below in the dedicated section and speak your mind about the 2027 BMW M4.
