2017 BMW M4 GTS: 11 little things

IF THERE’S one M4 to rule them all, it’s the GTS.

The 700-strong special edition is the brand’s quickest ever M car. A title backed up by a 3.8sec charge to 100km/h and 7minute 28second Nurburgring lap.

A radical tuning package that slashes weight, ups power, and adds grip is responsible for this speed. And with a chance to meet BMW Oz's single press example at the Bathurst 12 Hour, we cross off 11 things we rave and rue about the $295,000 end-result.

1. ALL FLARE
Those 19-inch wheels. The 666M design looks refreshingly different and at 9.5-inches wide up front, 10.5 out back, tuck oh-so-well into the M4’s flared guards. The machined face on an orange back-drop is a good look, too.

2. CALM AND COMFY
The seats are so comfortable you forget there are holes punched into the backrests for a harness. And yet, they hug you tighter than a LA nightclub bouncer during cornering.

3. CAGED IN
Every GTS comes without a rear bench. But BMW will add an 'Acid-Orange' roll-cage at no cost (along with six-point harnesses and fire extinguisher). We can’t imagine the interior without it.

4. POWER BULGE
Power domes can be a bit naff, but at least there’s a water-to-air intercooler just under the GTS's hump. The scalloped surround also suits the car’s brutish looks.

5. WING COMMANDER

The adjustable wing has a setting for the street and other settings for track. Very cool.

6. WATER WORKS
We appreciate water-injection technology boosts the M4 GTS’ outputs. But having to refresh the water supply every five fuel tanks, (or every tank if you’ve been driving on track), seems like an engineering solution a $295,000 price tag should avoid.

7. DOOR JAM
Carbon-fibre door cards might help the GTS shed 30kg, but they hinder ergonomics. Without handles, the replacement strap is positioned too far forward to gain any leverage when shutting the doors.

8. THE LOW DOWN
Again, at almost double the road car’s price, you shouldn’t have to attack the suspension with a turn dial to adjust the suspension.

9. EMPTY GAINS
Less weight is great, but not at the expense of basic storage. Armrest gloveboxes and door bins don’t exist on this car. Hope your passenger doesn’t mind holding their iPhone.

10. ROAD AND TRACK
Three-way coilovers don’t usually equal an agreeable ride, but the M4 GTS manages it, while feeling alert and tied down onto the tarmac.

11. SOUND OFF
The M4’s been knocked for an unflattering exhaust note, but the GTS's Akrapovic titanium muffler fixes that. Raspy, deep, intimidating, the 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six has the bark to match its bite.