this means that the future M4 will borrow much of its underpinnings from the BMW M3 Electric -- code name ZA0 -- that the firm has teased through its ongoing M Electrified YouTube series.

BMW M CEO Frank van Meel has already confirmed this ... Its more athletic cousin, reportedly codenamed "ZA0," isn't due until 2027 at the earliest. Even so, BMW is eager to show a test vehicle ...

Over the years, BMW SUVs have often been seen as capable but focused on luxury and utility rather than raw performance. However, the introduction of the M lineup changed that perception.

BMW also gave me a more hands-on method of determining performance: letting me ride alongside M Motorsports Works driver Jens Klingmann at the Experience Center track in Spartanburg, South Carolina.