In the eighth installment of the Car And Driver Lightning Lap the all-new M4 and M235i took to the tarmac of Virginia International Raceway to see how they measure up to the competition–past and present.
The competition classes in the Lightning Lap are set up by price range. The M235i which has a base price of $44,025, and costs $46,875 as tested, is in the LL2 class which features cars with an MSRP between $35,000 and $64,999. The M235i was up against stiff competition as the other cars in this class include: the Cadillac CTS Vsport, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Lexus IS350 F Sport, Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, and Subaru WRX STi.
As for the M4, with its base price of $77,400 and price of $80,350 as tested, it was in the LL3 category which features cars with an MSRP between $65,000 and $124,999. Even though it was at the bottom of the price range, the M4 should be able to hold its own against the competition. The other vehicles in its category are: the Jaguar XFR-S and F-type R Coupe, Audi RS7, Porsche Cayman S, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model, and Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.
Since this competition is all about lap time, here are the results:
The M235i easily out-paced the IS 350 F Sport and Subaru XRW STi, but was just barely edged out by the CTS Vsport and CLA45 AMG. All of these cars were destroyed by the Corvette Stingray though as it was twelve seconds faster than anything in the LL2 class!
The M4 held its own a little better as it outperformed most the competition and was just barely edged out by the E63 AMG S-Model which has over 150 more horsepower! The hands down winner in the LL3 class was the track focused Camaro Z/28 with its OEM DOT approved race tires, it laid down a lap time that was ten seconds faster than the rest of the class. Compared to the outgoing M3, the M4 was five seconds faster than its predecessor thanks to its lighter weight and torque from the new turbo-charged engine.
Watch the BMW M4 Lightning Lap:
To read the complete story of this year's Lightning Lap at Virginia International Raceway, head on over to the Car And Driver website.—Nate Risch
