BMW M4 F82/F83 (1st Gen) - What To Check Before You Buy (2024)

The F82/F83-generation BMW M4 was released soon after the regular first-generation BMW 4 Series. Arriving for 2015, the first-generation BMW M4 added a new model name to BMW's M-car range and replaced the previous M3's two-door coupe and convertible body styles. M4 Coupes carry the F82 type name, while M4 Convertibles are labeled F83.

The first-gen M4 largely followed the evolutionary path of its four-door sedan sibling until 2018, when the M3 sedan was discontinued. Consequently, the M4 received some small updates throughout its production life, with the only really notable facelift becoming available for 2018. But, unlike its related M3, the first-generation M4 at least got some decent mileage out of this facelift, continuing in production until 2020.

The changes to the BMW M4 F82 coupe and BMW M4 F83 convertible's rear-end styling are just as subtle, with the facelift only exchanging its taillight clusters for a new, all-LED setup. The easiest way to tell them apart is by looking at the DRL strips in the rear clusters, which exchanged the pre-2018 model's three thin horizontal strip lights for two thicker stripes with a distinctive loop-like pattern in the outer (fender-mounted) sections¹.

Closer inspection will also show that the backup lamps, which are located in the trunk lid-mounted clusters, changed position from the top to the lower edge of the inner sections². The rear bumper, quad-pipe exhaust outlets, metalwork, and carbon-fiber trunk lid remained unchanged, however.

BMW didn't mess with a good basic recipe when it came to updating the M4's cabin during the facelift. The design and layout are largely unchanged, but facelifted cars feature nicer detailing in areas such as the matte-chrome trim around the air vents¹, electroplated trim garnishes, and BMW's iDrive 6 infotainment system with an 8.8-inch color touchscreen interface and Bluetooth- and USB connectivity as standard².

Finally, the indicator stalk loses its annoying 'return-to-center' motion and returns to the traditional 'click into place' format with self-canceling. The standard high-beam assist, which is also controlled by the indicator stalk, also benefits from this change, giving a more natural feel to the control stalk operation by clicking into place upon activation.

The first-generation BMW M4 featured one engine through its production run, with mainly tuning differences between the various derivatives in its range. Motive power is provided by an inline-six-cylinder engine with two turbos, variable valve timing on both inlet- and exhaust camshafts (Double VANOS), variable inlet valve lift (Valvetronic), and direct fuel injection.

Loosely derived from the N55 engine employed in lesser 3 Series models of the time, the S55 has proven to be surprisingly reliable for an M-car engine. Just as it was with its predecessors (and with its concurrent M3), the power goes exclusively to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual transmission with rev matching, or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with launch control.

While many enthusiasts were upset that the first-generation M4 used a forced-induction engine instead of a high-revving naturally-aspirated unit, this change was motivated by increasingly- stringent exhaust emission- and fuel efficiency requirements. Although most buyers probably would have preferred the older V8's soundtrack over lower emissions, the on-paper performance improvements should still be enough to offset the loss of mechanical charisma.

The BMW M4 is a niche-oriented performance model, so very few owners submitted their real-world fuel-economy figures to the EPA. However, real-world figures for the related F80 M3 Sedan shows that S55-engined M-cars are capable of matching or bettering their claimed combined figures by up to 3 mpg, provided the driver applies some little restraint with the accelerator pedal.

With great speed comes great responsibility, so it is reassuring to know that the first-generation BMW M4 has a full house of safety equipment and very good crash safety ratings. This was the case from the start, and detail upgrades were applied through the years to improve the F82 and F83 M4's safety credentials even further.

The first-generation M4 featured adaptive xenon headlights with automatic on/off control, rear child seat anchors, ventilated and perforated disc brakes with ABS on all four wheels, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction control with multi-mode stability control, and six airbags: two frontal airbags, two side airbags in front, and curtain airbags for both seating rows.

Optional safety features included LED headlights, rearview or 360-degree cameras (the former two became standard in 2018); front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, frontal collision warning, automatic emergency braking (all standard from 2019); a blind-spot monitor, and high-performance carbon-ceramic brakes.

The F82/F83 BMW M4 was never tested as a stand-alone model by the NHTSA, but, because it is derived from the F32/F33 4 Series, the latter model's crash test data applies to the M4 as well. In 2020, the F32 BMW 4 Series received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with the driver enjoying four-star protection in the frontal crash, and the front passenger getting full five-star safety in a frontal crash.

Side crash ratings were also exemplary, with five stars across the board for side barrier and pole collisions for all occupants, supported by a five-star score for rollover resistance as well. Please note that the side crash- and rollover ratings apply to the M4 coupe only, because the convertible's lack of a roof means that the curtain airbags cannot be fitted, rendering these test results inapplicable to the BMW M4 Convertible 1st Generation. In mitigation, the convertible features a pop-up rollover protection system instead.

Overall Rating:

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating:

Side Crash Rating:

Rollover Rating:

Seeing as the BMW M4 is the ultimate 4 Series, it is equipped to a level that befits its range-topping status, to which first owners could add options or bundled option packs to suit their requirements.

Standard kit includes leather/cloth-upholstered and heated front bucket seats with 10-way electric adjustment and memory for the driver, 18-inch alloy wheels with tire sizes of 255/40R18 in front and 275/40R18 at the rear, one-touch power windows in front, powered door locks, self-dimming interior rearview mirror, heated electric-adjust exterior mirrors, manual tilt- and telescoping adjustment for the steering wheel, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted controls for the cruise control and audio system, a 60:40 split-folding rear seatback, an anti-theft alarm, automatic climate control, integrated navigation, and a high-end audio system with USB- and Bluetooth compatibility.

On top of this, buyers could order an opening glass moonroof for the M4 coupe (although this no-cost option deleted the standard carbon fiber roof), carbon ceramic brakes, adaptive M suspension, 19- or 20-inch alloy wheel sizes with performance tires, a powered rear sunshade, a 360-degree camera system, parking assistance, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system upgrade.

Many of these optional extras could also be bundled together into various packages. The Driver Assistance Plus Package added the semi-autonomous driving assistants and 360-degree camera system, the Executive Package added a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, head-up display, rear-view camera system (upgradable to 360-degree cameras), park distance control and extended leather trim, and the Lighting Package upgraded the headlights to full-LED status and added automatic high beams.

Some special edition versions of the F82/F83 M4 were also available in the US:

• The Competition Package joined the range in 2016 as an enhancement to the basic M4, aimed at driving enthusiasts. It remained part of the range until the first-generation M4 was discontinued in 2020, and added 19 hp to the base engine's output, revised suspension, sportier programming for the stability control and rear differential, 19-inch wheels with staggered tire sizes, gloss-black exterior decorations, and even sportier front seats.
• M4 GTS: This was the wildest model in the first-generation M4 range, and started with the Competition Package with M-DCT as its baseline. To this, the engineering team added a water-injection system to take the S55 engine to its highest factory rating, with 493 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. Only 700 BMW M4 GTS F82s were built in 2016, of which approximately 300 made their way to the US market, so it's certain to become a collector's item in years to come. The GTS was only available as a coupe and with the seven-speed M-DCT, and featured racing-spec adjustable suspension, 20-inch wheels, and standard carbon-ceramic brakes. Extensive weight-saving measures shaved 60 pounds off the curb weight of a basic DCT-equipped M4 coupe, helping the M4 GTS get to 60 mph in only 3.7 seconds (almost half a second quicker than the base car).
• M4 CS: Launched early in 2017, the first-generation BMW M4 CS slotted neatly into the gap between the regular Competition Pack and the M4 GTS. Once again starting off with the M4 Competition Pack coupe as a base and only available with the M-DCT, the 1st-gen BMW M4 CS gained 9 hp and 37 lb-ft of torque for new outputs of 453 hp and 443 lb-ft, added adaptive M Suspension to the mix, and its lightweight interior shaved 35 pounds off the Competition's curb weight. Only 3,000 F82 BMW M4 CS were ever made, of which 1,000 made their way to the US.

BMW

BMW M4 F83 Interior Overview

Given the context of a sports coupe or convertible, the F82/F83 BMW M4 performs pretty well in terms of practicality. Those long doors give reasonably easy access to all four seats, but head- and legroom for rear-seat occupants are somewhat restricted. The front seats have plenty of space to offer, though, with 39.8 inches of headroom, 42.2 inches of legroom, and 55.3 inches of shoulder room comfortably eclipsing a contemporary Mercedes-AMG C63 S coupe in every metric.

The M4 coupe's luggage compartment is decently-sized as well, with 11.0 cubic feet on offer with all seats in use, as compared to the C63's 10.5 cu.ft. The M4 convertible is rather compromised in this area, though, because that folding hardtop eats into the luggage space to bring the maximum cargo capacity down to only 7.9 cu.ft. The M4's gas tank takes 15.8 gallons, but the C63 wins this round with its 17.4 gallon tank.

BMW M-car engines need a steady supply of high-quality oil to achieve a good service life, because of their highly-strung characteristics. BMW uses an on-board system called Condition-Based Servicing (CBS) to determine optimized oil change intervals, but with such a high-performance engine, we'd ignore its suggestions completely and just change the engine oil and filter every 5,000 miles instead.

The cabin air filter should last 20,000 miles, while spark plugs, the engine air filter, brake fluid, differential oil, and transmission oil for the 7-speed M-DCT should all be replaced every 30,000 miles. But, because the power steering is now an electric setup, you won't need to bother with changing power steering fluid, because it doesn't have any.

If you take your M4 to the track on a regular basis, you may want to consider shortening the spark plug- and engine air filter replacement interval to 20,000 miles, and ideally replace the brake fluid after any intensive track use. Dusty conditions will affect the engine air filter as well, so at least inspect the filter element's condition every 10,000 miles.

There are only a few 2015-2020 BMW M4 recalls to note, and most of these recalls were quite easy to remedy. The list starts with a recall campaign for the rear subframe bolts on 2015-2016 M4s (of both body styles), which may loosen and possibly lead to a loss of vehicle control. Check out NHTSA Campaign Number 16V653000 for more details about this recall.

The next recall also involves 2015-2016 BMW M4s, where the driveshaft slip joints may not have been adequately lubricated from the factory. This could cause the propeller shaft to seize, cutting power to the rear wheels, and thus possibly causing a loss of control, according to NHTSA Campaign Number 15V782000.

Another recall related to the 2016-2017 BMW M4's drive shaft, which may separate from a connecting flange, again resulting in a loss of drive and increasing the risk of a collision. According to NHTSA Campaign Number 18V713000, the cure for this problem is the fitment of a new drive shaft, so check that this recall has been carried out as required.

Finally, 2019 and 2020 M4s were recalled for faulty fuel injectors. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V-666000 states that some injectors were made without a critical damping component, which could lead to damage where the direct fuel injector is connected to its feed pipe. This may in turn lead to a fuel leak, which would increase the risk of an engine bay fire. The solution is to replace the injectors, so ensure that this recall campaign has been enacted.

Whichever gearbox is in use, 2015-2020 BMW M4s are not known for troublesome transmissions. Provided an M-DCT gearbox's oil and filter are replaced on a regular basis, the dual-clutch transmission appears to be pretty tough, while manual-transmission cars are generally free of any owner complaints.

Braking performance is a BMW M4 strong suit, even without the carbon ceramic option. A small number of owners have however reported some BMW M4 F82 problems with brake pads and discs, which may be prone to premature brake pad wear or warping, respectively. This obviously depends on the driver's braking habits, however, and frequent track work would also bring such issues to the fore.