Skip to main content

BMW debuts its quickest production car ever, the M4 GTS, at the Tokyo Motor Show

BMW has unleashed its hardcore M4 GTS on the Japanese public at the Tokyo Motor Show. Designed as a successor to the 2010 M3 GTS, the M4 version lets you know it’s unique with bright orange accents and some aerodynamic flair.

The M4 GTS has been engineered as a track-honed weapon without the comforts of rear seats (which have been replaced with a roll-cage) and with helpings of added downforce in the form of a front splitter and big rear spoiler. BMW also included an Alcantara wrapped steering wheel, carbon fiber sport seats, light alloy wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, three-point seat belts, a lightweight center console, and pull loops that replace the door handles.

This corner carver has the goods. In addition to its handling improvements, the M4 GTS uses a water injection system (the first ever on a production car) for the M4’s standard 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six cylinder engine. This results in a lower final compression temperature leading to higher boost pressure and therefore improved performance.

How much improved performance? The M4 GTS makes an extra 60 horsepower and 50 newton meters of boost over the regular M4, meaning a total of 493 horses and 442 pound-feet of torque.

Though enthusiasts might shed a tear, BMW will only offer the M4 GTS with a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. Though it won’t be as much of a workout to hustle the super coupe around a circuit, you’ll be rewarded with a 0-to-60 mph sprint of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph.

BMW has declared the M4 GTS is the quickest production car it’s ever made, with a jaunt around the famed Nurburgring in just 7 minutes and 28 seconds, almost half a minute quicker than the normal M4. Thankfully, us Americans may have a chance (though not a favorable one) to see the M4 GTS on the streets as BMW will allocate some of its 700 planned production units for U.S. sales.

Editors' Recommendations

Miles Branman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Miles Branman doesn't need sustenance; he needs cars. While the gearhead gene wasn't strong in his own family, Miles…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more