derBayerische September/October 2021 - 19

T H E
become one with this incredible
vehicle. So, we just drove.
And drive we did. The confident,
smooth, and solid ride on the
straight Golden State Freeway from
Sacramento to Los Angeles and the
balanced, predictable handling as we
attacked the curvy back roads had us
thinking, " yeah, we'd be comfortable
owning this car. "
We decided to use the " sport "
mode setting when we were detoured
from the 101 Freeway through a
very pleasant mountainous road.
The switch to " sport " quickly transformed
the M440i from an outstanding
daily driver for the enthusiast to a
track car. Though being our first
time, we confidently and safely
attacked this challenging road.
An added bonus during our
2000-mile evaluation was that our
combined average fuel economy was
over 28 miles per gallon. In a
state where the price of premium fuel
is around $4.40 a gallon, that high
average fuel economy was a
welcome surprise.
As with the previous generation
4 Series, the passengers are also
treated to an inviting riding environment.
While it's no surprise that the
front passenger seat is quite comfortable,
with wonderful vision, it was
pleasing to discover that the rear
2 0 2 1
B M W M 4 4 0 i
end autocross tracks.
Design preference is subjective
and designers have a natural instinct
to produce bold, distinctive work.
We noticed that no one comments on
Lexus' obscenely large double trapezoid
grill, nor Acura's " Ninja
Transformer " belt buckle grill.
Because it integrates so well with the
rest of the exterior design, after a few
minutes with the M440i one forgets
about that large grill.
After reviewing BMW's future
(Above) Get comfortable - you'll never want the road to end.
passengers were not neglected.
Roomy and airy, the rear features
seating that is both comfortable and
supportive. With convenient rear
climate controls and good vision,
two American-sized adults will find
the 2021 M440i rear-seating area
quite pleasing.
With a nod toward German
practicality, the trunk lid opens high
to reveal a large trunk opening. The
dual folding rear seats make the
M440i suitable for weekend " big box
warehouse store " or " weekend warrior "
duties.
How much did we like the
M440i? Well, it's the first new BMW
that has me realistically pondering
selling my PAID FOR 2020 M240i
convertible in order to purchase the
convertible version. As with the
M240i, the M440i does not leave
one wanting for the M version, but it
may have people considering the M
version if these are indeed worth the
extra initial and ongoing expenses.
The 2021 BMW M440i is an
outstanding ultimate driving
machine. It embodies the driving
spirit and dynamics of the 1600 and
2002 while integrating the ergonomics
and convenience features one
expects from a modern vehicle.
It's today's auto-enthusiast daily
driver that will have the person
intentionally seeking the longest way
to their destination and, with a quick
change of tires, dominate the weekproduct
portfolio, we do wonder if
that grill design will replace the
Hofmeister kink as the BMW exterior
design signature. We do know that if
other OEMs begin incorporating
large grills in their product exterior
designs, the BMW design team will
have again received a quiet endorsement
from the automotive design
community.
As for all those self-proclaimed
expert-auto-critic websites, we
understand that they all are meekly
approaching BMW NA for a chance to
evaluate the new 2021 M440i.
¹https://www.topgear.com/carnews/classic/here-are-bmws-hommage-cars-in-italy#5
(Below
Left) If this doesn't make you want to jump in and drive, then stick to looking at flowers. (Below Right) The rear passenger area is quite inviting.
September I October
19

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/here-are-bmws-hommage-cars-in-italy#5

derBayerische September/October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of derBayerische September/October 2021