The turbocharged M3/M4 duo has been mostly praised, but rivals are getting stronger and the M Division is not sitting idle.

In fact, the recently launched Competition pack is the company’s answer to each and every one of them.

After adding 19hp to the output of the twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engine, BMW gave the M4 Competition a specially tuned Adaptive M suspension with new springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. Last but not least, the Active M differential was also tweaked for even better performance.

The 0-62mph (0-100km/h) sprint now takes 4 seconds flat when equipped with the DCT gearbox, making an already dazzling performance even better without affecting fuel economy.

Auto Express’ Steve Sutcliffe drives the core BMW M model and discovers that it is now not only the biggest hooligan of its class, but also one of the performance bargains of the year in the UK.

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