BMW is the definition of a company that offers it all and sometimes it’s hard to know which model to fall in love with. However, some stand out on their own with superior horsepower, suspension, or connectivity. We got the opportunity to drive one such model, which was geared towards the sportscar enthusiasts. The 2017 BMW X4 M40i is an M performance vehicle, and it was built for speed.

The ‘M performance’ is a blending of the respective BMW model crossed with the genes of the BMW M, thus creating an in-between model for race enthusiasts that couldn’t quite afford an ‘M’. BMW believes the M performance models stand out on their own because their drive is unlike any other. The ‘as tested’ model we drove was a beautiful Long Beach Blue Metallic that looked gorgeous cruising around in our green valley in Oregon.

A 3.0L BMW M Performance Twin Power Turbo Inline 6-Cylinder engine growls with 355-HP and pushes 343 lb-ft of torque. The gear selector is a bit difficult to figure out in a rush, but you can move the power around quickly with its paddle shifters. The M40i weighs in at 4,200 lbs and its sports suspension was made more comfortable with adaptive dampers.

This ride came with Michelin performance tires and 20-in alloy wheels, giving it an excellent grip of the winding roads we stretched it out on. Though the X4 is all-wheel drive, it was designed for paved roads, and possibly some extremely light off-roading. Its aerodynamic kit made it swoosh smoothly through the back country roads.

The 4-wheel ventilated anti-lock disc brakes with Dynamic Brake Control made this machine stop on a dime. The moderately bolstered sports seats felt comfortable even when you were quickly stopping or launching. The seating position is higher as well, giving you better visibility.

The infotainment system was a bit confusing from the get-go. If we had more time, we may have been able to figure it out but what looked like a touch screen knob did nothing when we pushed it. A loyal BMW user may be well acquainted with this system. After a short bout of frustration, we decided to concentrate on the drive experience.

Still oozing BMW excellence, we had an enjoyable test drive. As driven, this baby rolled in at $67,495 which included $10,000 of add-ons.

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• Vehicle: 2017 BMW X4 M40i