BMW M4 spied

These are the best pictures yet of the new BMW M4 Coupe, which has been caught during performance testing at the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany. These latest images clearly show how the new car is taking shape, too, with two engineers in racing gear driving the M4 on the limit.

Based on the all-new BMW 4 Series, the two-door M4 will get a wider track both front and rear for a much meaner stance than the standard car. In profile, the huge new high-performance brake discs are clear to see through the large black alloy wheels.

At the front, the M4 gets the same twin-spoke grille design as the BMW M6 Gran Coupe but finished in black, as well as an aggressive front bumper with larger air intakes and mesh grille. Under the bonnet, the M4 will continue BMW's downsizing policy by using a twin-turbo straight-six engine tuned to produce around 450bhp but with more torque than the current V8 model.

Other mechanical upgrades include a newly-developed limited-slip differential to help keep all that power on the road, plus a more developed version of the  Drive Performance Control system that adjusts the settings for the steering weight, throttle response and traction control. 

The new M3 is scheduled to be revealed later this year, ahead of the M4 Coupe and Convertible versions, which are likely to be revealed towards the end of 2013 with a starting price of around £65,000.