BMW Putting the Final Touches on the Next Gen 4 Series Coupe
The new all-wheel-drive BMW 4 Series M440i xDrive Coupe features a 374 hp straight-six engine along with 48V mild-hybrid technology.
The new BMW 4 Series is almost done, BMW announced today. Currently in the dynamic testing phase, the Bavarian automaker kept a few bodylines and interior panels secret, but is opening up about engineering and performance advancements versus the new 3 Series. BMW describes its current process as, “ensuring that the dynamic performance attributes of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe crafted on race circuits can also be experienced in normal driving conditions on public roads.”
Looking through the press release, posted below, here are a few highlights:
- The new BMW 4 Series beats the new 3 Series drag coefficient by 0.015
- The new 4 Series Coupe is also 57mm lower than the 3 Series, which lowers the overall center of gravity by 21mm
- The rear track is 23mm wider & increased negative camber upfront provide for increased agility and lateral acceleration
- BMW tuned the 4 Series lift-related dampers for a sportier ride
- The top of the line 4 Series will be an all-wheel-drive BMW M440i xDrive Coupe, powered by a 374hp straight-six engine along with 48V mild-hybrid technology, providing improved efficiency and an additional 11 hp.
- The M44oi X Drive Couple also includes an intelligent all-wheel-drive system, and M Sport differential, M Sport brakes, and 18″ M light-alloy wheels with mixed-size tires.
Here’s BMW UK’s press release in full:
Exhaustive pre-production development process for the new edition of the two-door car carried out at race tracks and other test facilities – Final touches now being added on the country roads and motorways surrounding the BMW Group’s Research and Innovation Centre in Munich – Bespoke overall concept and chassis set-up give the new model captivating sports performance.
Munich. The concept of sporty driving pleasure in the premium midsize segment is being redefined and will soon be available to experience in the new BMW 4 Series Coupe. Following a series of exhaustive test drives held as part of the development process to prepare it for series production, the latest incarnation of the two-door model is now embarking on the final phase of dynamic testing. After having their driving qualities honed at the winter testing center in Arjeplog, Sweden, at the BMW Group’s test center in Miramas in France, on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit, and at various other race tracks, the prototypes are now returning to their roots: engineers will put the final touches to the chassis technology of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe on the motorways and country roads around the BMW Group’s Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich.
Like its overall vehicle concept and design, the 4 Series Coupe’s chassis technology is a more individual composition than ever before. The proportions, aerodynamic properties, and weight distribution of the two-door car provide the ideal basis for a chassis set-up focussed unerringly on exhilarating dynamic performance. A direct comparison with the new BMW 3 Series Sedan highlights the new model’s unique profile particularly clearly. The sedan’s impressive drag coefficient, for example, is undercut by 0.015. Plus, the new BMW 4 Series Coupe is 57 millimeters lower than its four-door counterpart and its center of gravity is 21 millimeters closer to the road as a result.
This all combines with the increased negative camber at the front wheels and the 23-millimeter wider rear track to sharpen the car’s handling characteristics by a significant degree. The sports sedan already boasts extraordinary dynamism, but the new BMW 4 Series Coupe raises agility and lateral acceleration by a sizable margin again.
The development team for the new BMW 4 Series Coupe also took a model-specific approach to incorporate the chassis technology and connecting the suspension to the body. The fruits of their labors will launch the new two-door model straight to the top of its segment in terms of sporting prowess and the driving experience. At the same time, the double-joint spring strut front axle / five-link rear axle configuration means the dialing up of dynamic performance doesn’t come at the expense of excellent comfort on everyday drives and long journeys. Lift-related dampers – which made their debut in the new BMW 3 Series Sedan and offer continuously variable, progressive damping control as a function of spring travel – have been tuned for an even sportier drive. Custom-made tower-to-front end struts and an additional sheer panel on the bulkhead optimize steering precision and response, while bracing elements have been added around the rear axle to increase stiffness for improved straightline stability and lateral acceleration.
The model line-up provides another indication of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe’s unwavering commitment to class-leading driving dynamics. The range will now be spearheaded by a BMW M model in the shape of the new BMW M440i xDrive Coupe. Powered by a potent straight-six engine delivering a maximum output of 275 kW/374 hp, it will also feature 48V mild-hybrid technology, with a 48V starter-generator and a second battery employed to both ease the load on the engine and act in unison with it. Besides improved efficiency, the principal benefit here is punchier power development when the driver hits the accelerator hard. The additional 8 kW/11 hp generated by the electric boost effect underpins lightning-fast off-the-line getaways and in-gear sprints. The engine’s stunning power delivery, the standalone vehicle concept, and the optimized chassis technology’s model-specific configuration combine to endow the BMW M440i xDrive Coupe with outstanding performance credentials. Harnessing the race track expertise of BMW M GmbH, the various elements have been woven together into an overall package of supreme handling agility, precision, and poise.
The power generated by the engine in the new BMW M440i xDrive Coupe is channeled to the road via an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and the car’s intelligent all-wheel-drive system. The M Sport differential is also on hand to make sure that drive power is deployed to optimum effect in demanding driving situations. The locking effect generated by an electric motor limits speed equalization between the inside and outside rear wheel when cornering, thereby enhancing traction and handling stability while enabling the driver to power out of bends with considerable dynamic verve. The custom-tuned chassis elastokinematics, exceptionally powerful M Sport brakes and 18-inch M light-alloy wheels with mixed-size tires are likewise contributory factors in the precisely controllable dynamics of the new BMW M440i xDrive Coupe.
The final round of testing on the car’s home ground will allow the engineers to fast-track their latest findings into the fine-tuning process at the Research and Innovation Centre. The focus here is on ensuring that the dynamic performance attributes of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe crafted on race circuits can also be experienced in normal driving conditions on public roads. Whether darting along winding country routes around Munich or constantly switching between the motorway and urban traffic, the new BMW M440i xDrive Coupe epitomizes how the unequivocally sporty design of the body and chassis, the bespoke set-up of the steering, brakes and all-wheel-drive system, the pinpoint feedback from the dampers and the precise interventions of the chassis control systems together serve up driving pleasure that thrills and delights – day in, day out.
Photos: BMW UK