BMW has just yanked the covers off what is billed as the brand’s fastest ever production car, the limited production 2016 M4 GTS.

It’s a track-focused special that’s completely street-legal packing 500PS or 493hp under its hood and having recorded a Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes and 28 seconds – that’s nearly 30 seconds faster than the standard M4.

Before we proceed with all the intricate details, let us tell you that production is limited to 700 units worldwide, with the US market grabbing 300 of those at an as of yet, undisclosed price.

So, BMW M3 enthusiasts who…haven’t already spent their life savings on E30s and E46s offered at ludicrous prices over the years, will have a chance at obtaining one of the cars coming to the States – but you’d better hurry before the GTS turns into the another 1M Coupe on the market.

Previewed by the M4 GTS Concept at this summer’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance, the production car remains unchanged and is both a performance beast and a technological showcase for the BMW brand marking two industry firsts, the Water Injection System that provides a substantial power boost and the OLED (Organic Lights with LED) tail lamps.

Powering the GTS is the M4’s 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six that has been modified with the incorporation of BMW’s proprietary water injection technology, first used on the BMW M4 MotoGP Safety Car.

What this system does is inject a fine spray of water into the intake manifold plenum chamber (where it evaporates), significantly lowering the temperature of the intake air, which in turn, reduces the final compression temperature in the combustion chamber thus allowing for an even higher boost pressure for increased power.

More specifically, the S55 twin-turbo six produces 493hp (500PS) at 6,250rpm and 442 lb-ft (600Nm) of peak torque between 4,000 and 5,000rpm, a notable increase over the regular M4’s 425hp (431PS) between 5,500 and 7,300rpm and 406 lb-ft (550Nm) between 1,850 and 5,500rpm respectively.

BMW claims that fuel consumption remains at the same levels on the European cycle, but there is a minor catch / inconvenience with the Water Injection System; the chamber that holds the 1.3 gallon / 5 liter water tank in the trunk needs to be topped off as often as every refueling under hard track driving or every fifth refueling interval if you’re cruising on the highway.

Offered exclusively with BMW’s 7-speed M double-clutch transmission that gets a specially configured Launch Control system in manual mode, the GTS can reach 60mph in just 3.7 seconds or 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, and is free to top out at 190mph or 305km/h.

While some competitors may have more oomph under the hood, like Mercedes-AMG’s C63 S Coupe that boasts 503hp (510PS) from its bi-turbo V8, BMW focused on the power-to-weight ratio making the GTS 80kg or 176 pounds lighter than the standard M4 through a series of measures. These include the removal of the rear seats, the use of aluminum for the control arms, wheel carriers and axle subframes, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the hood (in addition to the roof) and the front and rear spoilers, Carbon Ceramic brakes and a titanium exhaust system.

BMW’s M division also gave the GTS a specially designed, full three-way adjustable M coilover suspension, additional spoilers, including a huge rear wing, a re-worked electromechanical steering system, an enhanced Active M slip differential, reconfigured electronic aids, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires shod in 265/35 R19 wheel front and 285/30 R20 rear with some very…1970s Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Bandit lightweight alloys.

There are plenty of changes inside with the M4 GTS making no effort to hide its track-focused nature, not only with the removal of the rear seats, but also with the fitment of a roll bar, a pair of lightweight racing bucket seats with a six-point harness, which sadly, won’t be offered in the States due to regulations, a fire extinguisher, Alcantara steering wheel and trim, and fabric door pulls.

Four colors will be available for the exterior, including Sapphire Black metallic, Mineral Grey metallic, Alpine White and Frozen Dark Grey Metallic paint finish.

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