With the Audi RS5 still stuck at 444 horsepower and AMG switching to a four-cylinder in the C-Class, the BMW M3 and M4 have become some of the most important German performance cars, especially at this size. And while we’re super-excited about the arrival of the first M3 Touring, the M4 Shooting Brake still deserves to be built.
Shooting Brakes are world-famous in terms of design, but they never really caught on as mass-produced vehicles. Mercedes tried it with the CLS Shooting Brake as did Jaguar, but the niche doesn’t seem profitable. So why are we suggesting BMW should build an M4 Shooting Brake?
Well, because it looks cool. Just look at this rendering by 3D artist Sugar Design and tell me you wouldn’t give this sexy car a second glance on the street.
German automakers are usually the ones trying to explore every niche imaginable, and while this usually means they blow through a lot of development money, they’re still extremely profitable. At the moment, BMW makes quite a few models that aren’t popular with fans or somewhat overlap, like the X2, which isn’t particularly sporty-looking, or the 2 Series Gran Coupe, neither grand nor a true coupe.
Even before Ferrari set a benchmark in the modern shooting brake world, BMW blazed the trail with a similarly shaped production car, the “Clown Shoe” E36/8 Z3 Coupe, a fantastic little thing, especially with the M inline-6 engine.
While the BMW M brand is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Z3 Coupe. It was introduced all the way back in 1997 with the 3.2-liter M version arriving a year later. That makes it a 25-year-old relic that we really should celebrate with a rendering, if not anything production-ready.
The best design feature on this M4 Competition Shooting Brake is the rear end. Its wide hips taper around the trunk in a way that wouldn’t be practical on the M3 Touring. The roof of the car flows down towards the back, almost begging to be made out of lightweight carbon fiber.
50 Jahre M Edition treatment for the fictional M4 SB
While a concept would have been a better way to celebrate the five decades of BMW Motorsport, fans of the M3 and M4 are probably still pleased with these new special editions. The 50 Jahre models are based on the sedan and coupe with the Competition package, adding an extra layer of exclusivity.
That means the high-revving 3.0-liter twin-turbo is allowed to make over 500 horsepower, fitted an 8-speed gearbox that sends power to either the rear or all four when M xDrive is optioned.
These models all chose between the five exterior colors, Carbon Black, Macao Blue, Brands Hatch Grey, Imola Red and San Marino Blue. All body colors are combined with M forged wheels up to 20 inches in Orbit Grey matt. M Performance parts are also selected, both in the real editions and on Sugar Design’s M4 Shooting Brake rendering.
