Automotive journalist Jason Cammisa has worked for several different major publications over the years. He’s likely most famous for his video work while at Motor Trend and now he can be seen hosting a few different shows for Hagerty. However, Cammisa is bringing many of his older videos to his current YouTube channel, which is causing many of us to revisit some of his reviews from the past. This one is of a car that’s seemingly been forgotten — the BMW M4 GTS.
I still remember writing our premiere story for the BMW M4 GTS. I remember early waiting for the press release, to learn about BMW’s newest, most extreme sports car yet, at the time. Once the hubbub surrounding the M4 GTS died down, though, enthusiasts started to find issues with it; its high cost, lack of performance relative to competitors, and finicky driving dynamics that required the absolute perfect configuration of its adjustable suspension to be great. After that, the world — myself included — sort of forgot about the M4 GTS. Better cars came out and the world moved on.
The BMW M4 GTS was a weird car. It was based on the F82 M4 but had an entirely unique, and fully-adjustable, suspension setup, tons of lightweight materials, very little sound deadening, a roll cage where the back seat used to be, and a highly-unusual water-injection system for the engine. The latter would essentially spray a fine mist of water into the combustion chamber, which would reduce charge temperatures, allowing BMW to increase the turbo boost without risking engine knock. The result was 495 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque.
That engine was paired only with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions and sent power to only the rear wheels. It was designed to be a track weapon, something to take on the Porsche 911 GT3, but was it actually good enough to do that? Check out Cammisa’s review from 2016 and find out. Again.
