BMW M3 vs M4: saloon or coupé from BMW M?

Until 2013 there was no such question to ask. The M3 was BMW M's compact performance car, and buyers simply chose between coupé, convertible and, in some generations, saloon. When the two-door 3 Series was renamed 4 Series for the 2014 model year, the fast version followed: the F80 M3 stayed a four-door car, and its two-door twin became the M4 (F82 coupé, F83 convertible).

The split survived into the current pair, the G80 M3 and the G82/G83 M4, unveiled together on 23 September 2020. Under the skin they are close relatives. Both use the S58, a 3.0-litre straight-six with two turbochargers, the same gearboxes and the same choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. The real differences lie in the body, the weight, the special editions and the way each car is used. Our guide to the G80 M3 Competition and the G82 M4 Competition article cover the launch cars in detail.

BMW M3 vs BMW M4: how the twins differ

Same engine, same outputs

The base versions of both cars produce 353 kW (480 PS) and 550 Nm, with a six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive. In Competition form each gets an eight-speed automatic, 375 kW (510 PS) and 650 Nm. The strongest road versions also match: the 2023 M3 CS and the 2024 M4 CS both have 405 kW (550 PS) and all-wheel drive. Neither car is the more powerful one when you compare like with like.

Doors, bodies and practicality

The M3 is a four-door saloon, and since 2022 it has also been sold as the M3 Touring (G81), the first estate in the model's history. The M4 comes as a coupé or a convertible; the open car's fabric roof needs 18 seconds and works at speeds up to 50 km/h. Anyone who carries adults in the back regularly, or needs a large load space, will find the M3 easier to live with.

Weight and power-to-weight

Fewer doors bring a small weight advantage. The manual M4 coupé weighs 1,674 kg against 1,705 kg for the manual M3, a gap of 31 kg. As Competition models the figures are 1,700 kg and 1,730 kg, which works out at 4.53 kg per kW for the coupé and 4.61 kg per kW for the saloon, by our calculation. The extra comfort of four doors costs very little performance; the convertible is a different matter at 1,953 kg in Competition xDrive form.

xDrive and the manual gearbox

All-wheel drive changes the launch more than the body does. Wikipedia gives the M4 Competition xDrive 2.8 seconds from 0 to 60 mph, against 3.6 seconds for the rear-wheel-drive car. The same system is offered on the M3, which in 2025 received a Competition xDrive with 390 kW and 1,780 kg. Drivers who want three pedals must choose a base car of either model: every Competition, xDrive and CS version is automatic only.

Limited editions

The rarest cars of the current generation are two-doors. BMW built 1,000 M4 CSL coupés in 2022, each with 405 kW and a top speed of 307 km/h; the CSL weighs 1,625 kg, or about 4.0 kg per kW. The M3 answer is the CS saloon with 405 kW, 1,765 kg and 302 km/h. In the United States the 2024 M4 CS was announced at a base price of US$123,500 (about €114,000).