There’s something to be said about a BMW. They are German engineered to perfection, sleek and speedy and absolutely gorgeous. And when BMW releases something new and a little bit different, its a good idea to sit up and pay attention. BMW’s new 2022 M4 Competition with xDrive is a great example. Though purists may be put off by the fact that this M4 is both all-wheel-drive and exclusively offered with an automatic transmission, the proof is in the pudding, with a 0-60 time of just 2.8 seconds. Our friends over at Car and Driver took the M4 Competition xDrive through her paces and were not disappointed. Let’s take a look at what they found.
Modern Engines Require All-Wheel-Drive for All The Torque
We know that part of the fun of having a car that gets to 60 in less than 3 seconds is the element of chaos and fun it can bring to the driving experience. Burning rubber is a feature and not a bug when it comes having a car with that much torque. That being said, you get the quickest acceleration when all of that torque is powering all 4 wheels instead of just the rear 2. Let’s look at a comparison here.
Both the all-wheel-drive M4 Competition xDrive and BMW’s rear-wheel M3 competition have a 503-hp twin-turbo inline 6 under the hood. They both produce 479 pound-feet of torque, and the M4 is actually about 100 lbs heavier than the M3. The M4 still smoked the M3’s times, with the M4 getting 0-60 in a sprightly 2.8 seconds while it took the M3 3.5. Though 3.5 is certainly not a slow time in the grand scheme of things, it is telling that the heavier M4 with pretty much the exact same engine is somehow 0.7 seconds faster than the M3.
You Can Still Have Rear-Wheel BMW Fun If You Want It
One of the good things about modern import cars is that they are adjustable in a big way. Though the M4 Competition xDrive may seem a little reserved with it’s all-wheel-drive, you still have the option of making things more interesting. In addition to turning off the stability control, you can actually put all of that torque into the rear wheels if you change it from the standard AWD mode to 2WD, which means you can have the best of both worlds in the package of one beautiful little car.
Any car with supercar acceleration is an incredible thing. And one that costs less than $100,000 is even better. When that incredible combination has a BMW badge on the hood, you know you are in for one heck of a ride. Though you may think that an automatic transmission may be a deal-breaker, our recommendation is not to discount the M4 Competition xDrive before you’ve had a closer look.
