BMW M4 Convertible M-DCT Competition AWD (G83) (2025) Review

Introduction

Right, so here’s the pitch: BMW’s M4 Competition Convertible M xDrive (G83 LCI) lets you chase supercar numbers and drop the top for less than R2.5 million. There’s a caveat - convertibles always take a sharper knock come resale time - but with the 2024 update, this is the wildest M car you can buy in South Africa without stepping into an M8. The market for four-seat, high-performance cabrios is all but extinct. Every obvious rival is either electric, missing in action, or costs as much as a Clifton bolthole. So, here’s BMW’s most unfiltered M car for SA, tested and tallied.

Key takeaway: 530 hp in a soft-top that’ll run with the supercar crowd for half the outlay - not perfect, but unforgettable when it matters.

Design & Exterior

Don’t expect a revolution with the LCI update. That monster grille still splits opinion, but the new laser-detailed headlights sharpen things up, while the taillights now have more modern graphics. Roof up, the fabric top gives the M4 a cleaner silhouette than the old F83’s clunky hardtop ever managed - you get a true coupe arc from windscreen to boot.

Stance and detailing

Those staggered wheels - 19-inch up front, 20-inch out back - mean it sits right, aggressive but not cartoonish. Competition spec brings carbon mirror caps and a gloss-black grille as standard in SA. Parked next to a 911 Cabriolet, the M4 gathered more double-takes. Whether that’s good or cringe depends on your mood.

The roof itself

• Fabric roof with panel-bow construction, about 40% lighter than the outgoing hardtop.
• Opens or closes in roughly 18 seconds.
• Works at up to 50 km/h - perfect for a quick move at a Sandton security boom.
• The boot holds 300 litres with the roof up, less if you’re stowing it.

Cabin & Practicality

Step inside and the LCI brings BMW’s curved display: a 12.3-inch driver cluster and a 14.9-inch central touchscreen with iDrive 8.5. Merino leather, carbon trim, M seatbelts - the lot feels plush. The M seats clamp you in when you’re having a go, but soften enough for a long run up the N3 to Durban if you’re just cruising.

Where it frustrates

Here’s the issue: climate controls are now in the touchscreen. In a convertible, you’re forever adjusting as the sun dips behind clouds or the breeze picks up. Physical switches matter here, and BMW’s already walking this back on upcoming models. Odds are we’ll see a software update to fix some of the clunky menu layers - previous iDrive 8 cars got similar tweaks that made daily life better.

Practicality, honestly

• Two proper seats up front, with two rear spots that work for teenagers or short adults.
• 300-litre boot - enough for two weekend bags or a single big suitcase if you pack smart.
• ISOFIX anchors in the back, but getting a seat in with the roof up is a yoga move.
• 119 mm ground clearance - you’ll want to watch for old Joburg speed bumps.
• You lose 50 litres of boot space versus the coupe - that’s the price for open-air motoring.

On the Road

Here comes the fun bit. BMW’s S58 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six churns out 390 kW and 650 Nm, all sent through an eight-speed M Steptronic auto to all four wheels. There’s a rear-drive mode for when you’re feeling brave - or foolish.

Pace

BMW claims 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. With xDrive’s traction, it actually feels quicker - no wheelspin, just launch, and you’re gone. Flat out, the M Driver’s Package (standard in SA) lifts top speed to 280 km/h. At an indicated 120 on the N1 out of Joburg, it’s barely ticking over at 1,800 rpm in eighth - effortless cruising.

Ride and refinement

Leave it in Comfort, and the adaptive dampers are magic. It glides over expansion joints and patched potholes - you’ll feel the odd shudder through the steering on rough tar, but it’s never jarring. Push harder on a battered backroad, and there’s some scuttle shake, a reminder you’re in a soft-top. It’s not deal-breaking, just part of the package.

Soundtrack

Drop the roof, and the S58 is the star. Over 5,000 rpm, it’s got a raw, metallic edge that the fake audio can’t touch. One cold morning near Harrismith, I dropped the top at a petrol station - the exhaust crackle on overrun was worth the frostbite.

Data & Comparison

Here’s where the M4 starts to embarrass the establishment. The numbers, stacked up against what’s left of the four-seat, open-top crowd in SA right now:

Running costs

• Official fuel claim: 10.4 L/100 km.
• On the highway, I got closer to 11.5 L/100 km - not bad for the performance on tap.
• Flat-out on a mountain pass? The trip computer showed 18.7 L/100 km. No surprises there.
• Five-year/100,000 km BMW Motorplan is standard.
• Budget about R230,000 for servicing and consumables over five years (before fuel and insurance).

Segment context

Interest in cabriolets here is low and steady - category scores between 12.8 and 14.4 through June to November 2025. By contrast, SUVs and luxury saloons are way higher, in the 70s. The M4 Convertible fights for a tiny slice of the market, which means BMW dealers in SA are willing to deal. If you’re patient, the pricing leans in your favour.

Editorial Focus

SA’s Supercar Alternative - does it add up?

Here’s the maths: 390 kW, 3.7 seconds to 100, 280 km/h v-max, four seats, folding roof, BMW’s Motorplan, all for about R2.34 million. The SL63 is R1.6 million more for a tenth quicker to 100 - that’s not a rival, that’s another postcode.

A base 911 Cabriolet is north of R2.9 million, and it surrenders nearly 100 kW to the BMW. Sure, the Porsche gives you steering that the M4 can’t quite match, and its badge holds value better - that’s the trade-off. But on performance per rand, the M4 Convertible is savage value.

What you lose: badge bragging rights in Constantia, the delicate steering of a rear-engined car, and the residuals that come with Porsche scarcity. What you gain: a four-seater you can drive daily, with a Motorplan that grey-imports can only dream of. I’ve had three separate chats with potential buyers in this price bracket in the last six months - the BMW wins every logical argument, loses only at the dinner table. And that’s the point.

Verdict

Rating: 8.5/10.

If you want a convertible that’ll run with the supercars, seat four, and still come with a real Motorplan and local dealer support - here’s your answer. That S58 soundtrack is addictive, and the xDrive means you can use all the power, even if you hit a wet patch on the M1.

Skip it if you’re after steering feel above all else - a 911 Cabriolet still has that edge. If resale is your obsession, the BMW badge will never match Porsche for cachet. And if you’re planning to ferry adults in the back for long trips, look elsewhere - those are short-hop seats only.

For the rest of us? This is South Africa’s supercar alternative, and you can drive it out of a Sandton dealership today. It’s what the M4 Convertible should have been from the start.