Page 87 - Sharp Spring 2021
P. 87

SHARP AUTO
     SPECS
BMW M440i xDRIVE
ENGINE:
3.0-LITRE TURBO STRAIGHT-SIX
POWER:
382 HP
PRICE:
$64,950
HELLO MY
BMW is so good at the basics; you’d be amazed how many other would-be luxury cars get these things all wrong.
With the coupe’s long hood pointed down the pitlane at a racetrack, its 382 horsepower engine makes a deep, subsonic rumble. It only gets louder when you put your foot down. The supremely smooth power of the turbocharged straight-six — now mated to a 48V mild hybrid system — fires the car down the main straight. There’s more grip at the front and rear than there was on the old 4 Series, but the chassis feels better balanced and more predictable at its outer limits. The chassis, now lighter and stiffer, makes for a tighter and nim- bler ride. (BMW’s engineers in Munich are nothing if not detail-oriented.) The steering is quick and demands a smooth touch, but it does, thankfully, transmit some useful information to the driver.
In other words, it feels much like a BMW should. Among the 4 Series’s most exciting additions is
the xDrive all-wheel drive system, which is certain- ly one of the best we’ve tried. It lets the rear tires squirm and push the car through corners. There is, sadly, no manual gearbox option anymore — for that, you'll need to step up to the new M3 or M4 — but the eight-speed automatic is smooth and plenty rapid. It all feels effortlessly natural. You could almost forget there’s nothing natural about a 400 hp coupe designed for daily driving.
Perhaps the best thing about the new 4 Series — the thing most people will appreciate day-in, day-out — is the completely transformed suspen- sion. It’s still sporty, but genuinely comfortable now. New adaptive dampers on the M440i help it handle country drives that are more pothole than road with aplomb.
Finally, we’ve got to talk about you-know-what. The new front grille on the 4 Series is controversial, to say the least, but BMW’s design boss has gone on record saying they’re not out to please everybody. Fair enough. No matter what you make of the new coupe’s looks, there’s no denying the new 4 Series is a significant improvement over past models. Despite stiff competition, it sets a new high-water mark in its class. It’s good to know the 4 Series is still there, and better than ever, for when you’re ready to get reacquainted.
 OLD FRIEND
   BMW gets its new 4 Series coupe right
BY matt bubbers
IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK BEHIND THE CHUNKY,
leather-wrapped steering wheel of a BMW 3 Series
— or, as is the case here, its two-door counterpart, the 4 Series coupe. These cars are the bedrock of BMW. Getting into the all-new, next-generation 4 Series is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. Much has changed, but there’s much that’s familiar too.
First, the door closes with an inert thunk. The seat is low, but not too low. It’s infinitely adjustable, just like the steering wheel, which means you can easily settle into a perfectly comfortable driving po- sition. The controls are right where you need them.
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