The first examples of the visceral BMW M4 GTS, of only 700 examples will be produced, are expected to arrive in South Africa in May 2016. Of the 700, only 25 have been earmarked for the local market, which means the car will only be available from certain M dealers…

Created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the BMW M3, the M4 GTS is described as an “exclusive technological showpiecethatelevates the potential of the BMW M4 Coupe to another impressive new level.” Cars.co.za recently reported that the Competition Pack had been made available for the M3/M4 duo on the local market, but for some aficionados "the 331 kW upgrade" (among other additions to the standard car) will just not be enough. The BMW M4 GTS is in quite another league, however,it was designed predominantly for track use and in a show of ability, the M4 GTS achieved a time of 7.28 minutes around the famous Nürburgring-Nordschleife, which makes its intentions clear. Let’s take a closer look at what the BMW M4 GTS has to offer…

Brutal engine power

Under the bonnet lurksa 6-cylinder, 3.0-litre turbocharged engine. The powerplant makes use of water injection technology to boostoutput significantly: the GTS generates peak power of 368 kW and 600 Nm of torque while keeping fuel consumption at a reasonable 8.3 L/100km. Using a 7-speed M dual clutch transmission (M-DCT), the M4 GTS is capable of blistering performance, achieving 0-100 kph in only 3.8 seconds before reaching a top speed of 305 kph.

Styling

The M4 GTS weighsonly 1585 kg, because BMW M engineers have employed lightweight construction throughout to achieve the optimum power-weight ratio. Up front, the M4 GTS features two sets of twin circular headlights that combine LED technology with BMW Selective Beam and Adaptive Headlights. The rear OLED L-shaped lights make their debut in this M4 GTS and emphasise the width of the car. On the inside, the driver is met with carbon-fibre M bucket seats, which weigh about 50% less than the sports seats found in the M4 Coupe.

The seats are trimmed in exclusive Alcantara and Merino leather with M stripes found on the backrests while three-point seat belts and door pull loops hint at the performance ability of the car. Alcantara features on the M sports steering wheel too and you will notice that there are no rear seats either. Instead, a glass-fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) shelf and rear panel in carbon-fibre sandwich construction saves up to 40% in weight.

If customers opt for the Clubsport Package, a roll bar in Acid Orange is fitted behind the front seats and a race-specification six-point harness and fire extinguisher is included in case things get crazy hot while out on the track. The BMW M4 GTS is fitted with forged and polished Acid Orange weight-minimised M light-alloy wheels with star-spoke 666 M Styling, with 19-inch examples fitted at the front while 20-inch wheels are fitted at the rear. The exhaust system features a titanium muffler, giving the M4 GTS a rich soundtrack while the adjustable rear wing reduces lift when travelling at high speed.

Local Availability

A reputable source has confirmed that the M4 GTS costsR2 137 500 in the South African market. As the saying goes, the order books areopen, but suffice to say the M4 GTS's availability will be severely limited.

Search for anM3or M4 listed for sale on Cars.co.za

View BMW M3 and M4 Competition Pack (2016) prices in SA

The BMW M4 GTS has an official Nurburgring lap time! Watch the video below: