We’ve yet to officially see the 2022 BMW M4 coupe (or its M3 sedan sibling), although a photo of an uncovered example was recently leaked and we’ve seen the latest 4 Series coupe on which the M4 is based. As you can see from the images here, BMW still isn’t showing the world what the new M4 looks like—but it is proudly showing the high-performance 4 Series variant in camouflage attacking the Sachsenring racetrack, as well as reminding everyone that the turnt two-door will once again offer a manual transmission in a new video. Warning: There is gratuitous manual-transmission 2022 M4 throttle blipping, downshifting, and general stick-shifty goodness in the clip.
Alongside its video drop for the new M4, BMW would like to remind everyone that the coupe will come in two performance flavors: 473-hp basic and 503-hp Competition. The automaker implies the manual transmission will only be available on the non-Competition models, which will exclusively utilize an eight-speed automatic transmission. Unlike the previous M4, which was rear-wheel drive, the new model will offer xDrive all-wheel drive sometime after the car launches. BMW has also revealed that there will be an even higher-performance M4 GT3 race car that will effectively halo the M4 range in 2022.
There’s really not much more to say. Are we glad the new BMW M4 continues to offer a manual, a transmission type fast fading from fast performance cars? Absolutely. Are we impatient to take the new M4 for a spin, working its six-speed manual option ourselves? Doubly absolutely. Watching the M4 take on the Sachsenring, a German DTM track, is great fun (and you can see it undergoing testing on the Nürburgring in the second video above). Waiting for hands-on experience at a similar venue is less so. The 2022 BMW M4 will debut in September 2020, so we won’t need to wait long, but it’s still a wait.
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