Page 45 - Layout 1
P. 45
AUTO REVIEW
Still, adjectives like assertive and aggressive ware — have been and elected to follow suit. sion and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive.
are relative. Most BMWs these days are sty- (Mercedes is doing a similar thing with their Please direct any questions about op-
listically underwhelming, with what I’d de- AMG brand, by the way.)
scribe as lots of trees and not much forest, tions, availability, and pricing to BCMS’
i.e. there are thoughtful styling elements Anyway, thanks to a 355-HP turbo in-line own Phil Hornbeak, who is glad to help
everywhere, but the overall effect is remark- six-cylinder engine, launch control, bigger any member find that special vehicle they’d
ably subdued. (The muscular M3 sedan, front brake discs, 19-inch wheels, and a like to buy or lease.
quirky but cool i3 electric car, and futuristic sport-tuned suspension, the X4 M40i per-
i8 sports car are notable exceptions.) forms very well in all situations. Twisty back The BMW Spartanburg manufacturing
roads are where it seems most at home, but plant has been producing vast numbers of
As noted above, numerous changes ensure cruising on the interstate and tootling cars and crossovers for almost 25 years. The
that driving the X4 is more engaging than around town are no problem for this Spartanburg-made X4 isn’t as mainstream as
piloting the X3, and that’s especially true of crossover. Another M40i addition is a louder its more conventional X3 sibling, but it’s a
the X4 M40i, which has been given some exhaust system with dual rear pipes that fine vehicle in its own right, especially the
M-division design pieces and performance make rally car-like backfire sounds when you M40i version.
enhancements. get off the throttle in Sport mode. Nice.
If you’re in the market for this kind of ve-
A quick aside: True M-vehicles have al- And in case members of the automotive hicle, call Phil Hornbeak at 210-301-4367.
ways been the pinnacle of BMW perform- media who got this particular press vehicle
ance, and BMW has historically protected didn’t get the point about the M40i’s extra Steve Schutz, MD, is a
the brand by putting M-badging and other performance credentials, its exterior paint board-certified gastroenterolo-
symbols only on actual M-vehicles. But the color is Long Beach Blue, the M2’s launch gist who lived in San Antonio
decision makers in Munich no doubt saw color. in the 1990s when he was sta-
how popular S-line Audis — non-S Audis tioned here in the U.S. Air
which were given sporty trim elements from Other engine choices are a 240-hp turbo Force. He has been writing auto reviews for
S Audis rather than all of the go-fast hard- four or a 300-hp turbo in-line six. And all San Antonio Medicine since 1995.
X4s have an eight-speed automatic transmis-
visit us at www.bcms.org 45
