A KIND OF MAGIC

Sean O’Grady test-drives the BMW M4 Competition and finds that, pricey as it may be, his every wish is its command

- Sean O’Grady

The great thing about the BMW M4 Competition is that it can make an indifferent but enthusiastic amateur feel like they're a "proper" driver. It doesn't take you long behind that multifunction wheel to realise that you can punt this incredibly capable machine as wilfully as you wish, and all it will ever do is obey your commands, all the while accompanied by a symphonic soundtrack from the three-litre twin-turbo BMW straight-six unit.

It’s always communicative. It may be my imagination, or just some clever software, but it feels as if the car is actually always anticipating your next move.

Sharp braking (I wanted to check how good they are – they’re flawless) provokes a most insistent growl because your M4 Competition knows that you’ll be wanting to get a move on presently. It’s like having a valet under the bonnet, or a central processing unit allied to responsive mechanicals, attending to your every wish and keeping you out of trouble.

On the motorway, or even on a damp, narrow, serpentine country B-road, you are never ever allowed to get out of your depth. The compulsory four-wheel drive system helps it to make sure it goes where it thinks you want it to go, and there’s no rear-drive-only option for the hooligans/professionals. This is just as well.