Hardcore track-oriented cars are always great to drive but their greatness comes at a price. To get the sort of pure, racing car-like driving experience, these cars need to be lightweight, stripped-out machines. And because they are, they can be quite uncompromising and uncomfortable. In fact, they’re usually pretty difficult, and sometimes frightening, to drive on the road. And, despite having less luxury equipment, they’re usually extremely expensive. The BMW M4 GTS is one such car. So is it worth the extra cost, discomfort and even fear? According to the folks at Motor.es, yes.
Javier of Motor.es had the unfortunate luck of picking up the BMW M4 GTS in the rain. For those of you who don’t already know, the M4 GTS doesn’t like the rain. At all. It actually hates the rain and will actively attempt to kill you if you decided to subject it to rain. So, it’s not a good first impression. Cold and wet roads do not mix well with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer tires nor the gobs of turbocharged torque of the M4 GTS. So, the car can be a bit scary in those conditions.
But that fear fades as you spend more time in the car. Once you get acclimated to the M4 GTS, and learn how it feels and reacts, it becomes a much more manageable, controllable car. Especially when you take it to the track, where it really comes alive.
The track is where you really feel the car, according to Javier. It’s a car that provides the sensation of driving quickly. You feel the tires working, you feel the vibrations of the engine and you feel every wiggle and nuance of its dynamics. And it’s also fast. Really fast.
Javier notes that the car’s traction control system is too intrusive in the wet, not allowing you to properly put power down. So, despite it being a bit scary, he turned all the systems off on the track and it performed better than he expected. It does want to hand its tail out all the time, and it will bite you if you aren’t careful, but it’s fun and exciting and surprisingly controllable, even at high speed.
But the M4 GTS is a bit of a one-trick pony. Under other circumstances, it can be difficult to drive, loud and uncomfortable. So is it worth the extra money and stress just for the moments when you can really push it? Javier says yes. It’s a car of sensations, says Javier, and if you can afford it, there’s no question that those sensations are worth the extra money and discomfort that may come from it.
[Source: Motor.es]
