VIDEO: BMW M4 GTS attempts to drift itself into your affections

If
the exuberant video isn’t enough to prove the GTS has what it takes when you hit the track, BMW has also confirmed that it has timed its new M car around the Nurburgring and posted a scorching 7:28 lap time — that’s an incredible 30 seconds faster than the regular M4.

To accomplish the lap time the GTS gets an uprated 368kW/600Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six — that’s 51kW/50Nm more than the regular coupe and enough to hurtle the M4 GTS, from standstill, to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds onto 306km/h before the speed limiter kicks in.

Helping liberate extra power from the standard car’s engine is a new motorsport-inspired water-injection system.

The trick new tech injects a fine spray into the intake manifold plenum chamber where it evaporates quickly, lowering the temperature of the intake air. The cooler, denser air then reduces final compression temperatures ensuring a more efficient burn and allowing both a higher boost pressure and earlier ignition. The system needs a five-litre tank that, with hard driving, needs topping up at every refill.

Also helping boost power is a new titanium quad-pipe exhaust that has a wider 80mm diameter over the standard M4’s pipes.

Only available with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, when you’re not in the mood, the M4 GTS can average a very respectable 8.3L/100km and emit 199g/km of CO2.

Weight-saving has been a crucial part of increasing the GTS’ on-track performance with BMW’s M division adding carbon-fibre bucket seats that are 50 per cent lighter than the standard items, a lighter centre console, lightweight door cards and even fabric door pulls were also added to contribute to the weight-loss regime. Finally, the rear seats have been ditched making the GTS a strictly two-seater.

Externally, the bonnet, roof and front splitter are all made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastics.

Despite all the painstaking attention to detail the M4 GTS adds weight back in
with standard sat-nav, air-conditioning, adaptive LED headlights and
even parking sensors. The result is a less than impressive-sounding
kerbweight of 1510kg -- only a 62kg saving over the coupe.

To
help improve on-the-limit handling the new M car gets three-way
coil-over suspension that has adjustable compression and rebound.
There’s also stiffer anti-roll bars and more rigid suspension mounts.

Available
in just three colours -- Frozen Dark  Grey, Sapphire Black and Alpine
White -- there’s also the no-cost option of a Clubsport Package that
adds a roll cage, six-point harness and fire extinguisher.

GTS
options you pay extra for include internet connectivity and an M Lap
Timer that can upload lap times and stats to social media.

Just
700 M4 GTS coupes will be made, with the fastest BMW going on sale this
March in Europe. It’s not known how many we’ll get in Australia, nor how
much BMW Oz will charge for it, but as a guide price in the UK the M4
GTS will sell for around $240,000.