Which would you have?
Thank you to Jay at BMW, Sam at Ford, John at Road America, and Harvey at MAMA for making this video possible!
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#BMWM4 #MustangMach1 #TrackTest
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This is the BMW M4, and as we’re all familiar, it’s the sultry 2-door version of the M3, a car synonymous with BMW itself.
But importantly, this M4 here marks the entry of the second generation of M4, and 6th generation of M3 so it’s kind of a big deal.
Under the hood things don’t change a huge amount - still 6 cylinders in a straight line and still a twin-scroll turbo
However, there’s more to an M car than just a motor…
It’s no surprise that the M4 is a scalpel of precision performance, after all this is the no nonsense Competition package which means you can’t even get a manual if you want...because us silly humans aren’t as smart or as fast as a computer.
However, it’s not like you can’t have fun with this thing...
You can still slide this thing around!
Which brings me to an important point. We said this is the Comp which means automatic, but that also opens the door to a M3/4 first...4WD
So, no manual in the comp, 4wd in the comp...does BMW not want you to have fun??
Of course not! You don’t HAVE to spec AWD and if you option the stick you can’t even get AWD and you get a drift mode with analyzer, but if you want the quickest M3/4 BMW has ever made...well let’s talk about that...
It’s right there in the name...Competition. That suggests it’s supposed to accelerate the quickest. Corner the hardest. And brake the shortest. And that’s what it does
Under the hood you have the M division’s S58 engine spewing out 503 hp and 479 lbft. That’s more than you get in the manual-only base m4
From there you’ll get BMW’s optimally tuned ZF 8-speed gearbox which will send power to the rear limited slip differential..an coming next year to all 4 wheels if you want
All of this means 0-60 in 3.8 seconds…
But again, power isn’t everything, especially for an M car…
You get electronically controlled adaptive dampers
You can get carbon ceramic brakes
The power comes on incredibly low and strong and pulls all the way up the tac
The The transmission is sharp and intelligent in automatic mde and in manual there’s some theater in pulling the paddles yourself...very rewarding
The steering is shockingly communicative...BMW was listening from last gen
The chassis is confident and planted from entry to exit and rewards bravery for getting on throttle early
And the brakes...well they’re good too
What a riot!...but let’s say you have slightly different tastes...
Let’s say you don’t want a scalpel and you want a sledgehammer
Then you might want something like this
This is the Mustang Mach 1 and essentially what that means is it sits right between the GT and the halo GT500.
No more flat plane Voodoo engine, the Mach 1 gets a Coyote motor thats also in the GT
That means 5-0...And it sounds incredible...not flat plane v8 incredible, but pretty damn good
Now, the mustang has always kind of been all about the engine, and while it’s a great engine we’re talking about going up against M cars so what else do we have?
This thing is track ready and focused All Mach 1s come with additional underbody ducting to cool the brakes, along with engine- and transmission-cooling upgrades, and a rear-axle cooler borrowed from the GT500.
We also have a tremec transmission either way you want it. In the auto it’s the 10 speed we’re familiar with.
BUT the terrible getrag manual in the GT is replaced by a tremec 6 speed manual
Power still only goes to the back through a LSD which means 0-60 is done in 4.3 seconds
So it’s not as quick as the BMW, but you canrow your own gears while you’re engulfed in V8 noises and that has to count for something. you also have the ability to do no-lift-shifts, meaning on the full throttle straights you can keep your gas pedal down while upshifting.
But while this is a pony car, the Mustang isn’t just about the motor and straight line speed anymore
The handling package that we have, actually produces 150% more downforce than the GT
Paolo VO: The mach 1 has magnetic adaptive suspension that’s bolted to the same incredible subframe as the outgoing GT350
The chassis is planted and the Brembos ensure you have confidence as you head into corner entry
Around mid-corner you’ll be thankful for the Michelin Cup 2 tires and their excellent grip as you get onto the throttle and power through corner exit
Turn in and you'll notice the improved feel and precision of the Mach 1's steering compared to the Mustang GT's, courtesy of the stiffer intermediate shaft in the steering column and re-tuned electric power steering.