2015 BMW M4
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
Front-engine, RWD
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT
Twin-turbo I-6, alum block/head
That’s not to say the Camaro is a perfect car. Like all cars, it isn’t. Cammisa and I much preferred the M4’s looks. Even if you like the Camaro’s design more, you have to admit that it’s childish. Although we’re young at heart, my and Jason’s combined eight decades of spinning around the sun make us not take the Camaro as seriously as we could. Maybe a little less cartoony next time around? The BMW is straight up handsome, no two ways about it. Aside from looks, Cammisa tabulated a litany of things we don’t like about the SS: “The back seat is a cruel joke. The HVAC vents love to freeze and/or slow-cook your right hand, and their cleverly integrated temperature knobs feel cheap. When it’s hot under the hood, the starter can barely crank the V-8 over quickly enough to start it. Steering weight can’t be selected individually from the drive modes—and it’s artificially heavy in both Sport and Track modes. The powertrain suffers from some big NVH issues.” However, he quickly adds, “All of those flaws suit the Camaro; this is a car with a clear understanding of what it is, who it appeals to, and what it needs to do.” By dint of declaration, Cammisa’s saying that the BMW does not know what it needs to do. The numbers show the M4 has it when it counts. But just driving the thing around? Feels like a plain old luxury car. Refined and nice enough but not the be-all, end-all of hot Germanic muscle machines. Admittedly, faulting a car like the M4 is akin to feeling the pea under the mattresses, but it’s more than one pea, and them’s pretty thin mattresses. “I was genuinely concerned that the M4 would wipe the streets with the Camaro, and yet the exact opposite happened,” Cammisa said. “The Camaro’s win was wholesale.” Hats off once again to Camaro boss Al Oppenheiser and his team. They took on Germany’s performance standard-bearer, objectively tied it, and subjectively blackened the M4’s eye. “The Camaro’s biggest weakness is its own badge,” Cammisa said. “Discounting the 1LE and Z/28, the Camaro was so bad for so long that it’s hard to take this car seriously against the M4. Until you start driving it.” Yup. If how a car drives matters more to you than badge cachet, Chevrolet has you covered. n
DOHC, 4 valves/cyl 181.8 cu in/2,979cc 10.2:1 425 hp @ 5,500 rpm 406 lb-f @ 1,850 rpm 7,500 rpm 8.3 lb/hp 6-speed manual 3.46:1/2.93:1
Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar 15.0:1 2.3 15.8-in vented, drilled, carbonceramic disc; 15.0-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc, ABS 9.0 x 19-in; 10.0 x 19-in, forged aluminum 255/35ZR19 92Y; 275/35ZR19 100Y Michelin Pilot Super Sport
ENGINE TYPE VALVETRAIN DISPLACEMENT COMPRESSION RATIO POWER (SAE NET) TORQUE (SAE NET) REDLINE WEIGHT TO POWER TRANSMISSION AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR STEERING RATIO TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK BRAKES, F; R
WHEELS TIRES
2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe (2SS) Front-engine, RWD 90-deg V-8, alum block/heads OHV, 2 valves/cyl 376.1 cu in/6,162cc 11.5:1 455 hp @ 6,000 rpm* 455 lb-f @ 4,400 rpm* 6,500 rpm 8.1 lb/hp 6-speed manual 3.73:1/1.87:1 Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar 15.8:1 2.3 13.6-in vented disc; 13.3-in vented disc, ABS 8.5 x 20-in; 9.5 x 20-in, cast aluminum 245/40ZR20 95Y; 275/35ZR20 98Y Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
DIMENSIONS
110.7 in 62.2/63.1 in 184.5 x 73.6 x 54.4 in 40.0 f 3,512 lb 52/48% 4 39.8/36.1 in 42.2/33.7 in 55.3/51.7 in 11.0 cu f
WHEELBASE TRACK, F/R LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT TURNING CIRCLE CURB WEIGHT WEIGHT DIST, F/R SEATING CAPACITY HEADROOM, F/R LEGROOM, F/R SHOULDER ROOM, F/R CARGO VOLUME
1.8 sec 2.7 3.4 4.2 5.3 6.5 7.7 9.1 1.6 12.5 sec @ 116.5 mph 108 f 1.00 g (avg) 24.1 sec @ 0.82 g (avg) 82.94 sec 2,250 rpm
ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 PASSING, 45-65 MPH QUARTER MILE BRAKING, 60-0 MPH LATERAL ACCELERATION MT FIGURE EIGHT 1.55-MI ROAD COURSE LAP TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH
110.7 in 63.0/62.9 in 188.3 x 74.7 x 53.1 in 38.4 f 3,696 lb 54/46% 4 36.6/35.0 in 42.6/29.9 in 55.0/50.4 in 9.1 cu f
TEST DATA
1.7 sec 2.4 3.1 4.1 5.0 6.4 7.7 9.2 1.8 12.4 sec @ 115.8 mph 102 f 1.01 g (avg) 24.1 sec @ 0.83 g (avg) 83.15 sec 1,400 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
$65,195 $77,495 Yes/yes Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee 4 yrs/50,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles 4 yrs/unlimited miles 15.8 gal 17/26/20 mpg 198/130 kW-hrs/100 miles 0.96 lb/mile Unleaded premium *SAE Certified
BASE PRICE PRICE AS TESTED STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL AIRBAGS BASIC WARRANTY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FUEL CAPACITY EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB RECOMMENDED FUEL
$42,295 $46,095 Yes/yes Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee 3 yrs/36,000 miles 5 yrs/60,000 miles 5 yrs/60,000 miles 19.0 gal 16/25/19 mpg 211/135 kW-hrs/100 miles 1.02 lb/mile Unleaded premium