I Drove the Rarest BMW M4 Ever Made (Only 99 Exist) - Bovensiepen Zagato

The Bovensiepen Zagato costs nearly four times as much as the BMW M4 it's built on — so we took it to the track to find out if that price tag actually makes sense.

Built by the family behind ALPINA, the Zagato starts life as a BMW M4 Competition Convertible (G83), then gets a completely reworked exterior. Zagato keeps the M4's headlights and laser tail lights but replaces everything else with a bespoke carbon fiber body, including the brand's signature double-bubble hardtop roof — a design that only works because Bovensiepen starts with the convertible and deletes the folding roof mechanism entirely. Zagato designer Norihiko Harada led the styling.

Under the hood, the S58 inline-six is tuned to 611 hp, with a full titanium Akrapovič exhaust running front to back — and since this is a limited-production car, Bovensiepen was able to remove the particulate filter the standard M4 needs for European emissions rules. The result is a noticeably different intake and exhaust note, with more low-end punch and a more GT-like character than a stock M4.

The chassis gets its own treatment too: unique anti-roll bars, special dampers with new top mounts, different springs, and smaller helper springs at each corner for a plusher ride. The brakes, however, carry over straight from the M4 — they were already good enough.

We drove three different Zagatos back to back at the Salzburgring, including the original Lake Como show car, and came away convinced this isn't just a dressed-up M4. Only 99 units will ever be built, around 30 a year, making this one of the most exclusive cars to ever wear a BMW engine.

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Timestamps

0:00 – Why does this BMW M4 cost 4x as much?

0:34 – The all-new Zagato body and double-bubble roof

1:18 – Under the skin: 611 hp and a full Akrapovič exhaust

2:04 – How the engine sounds and pulls vs. a stock M4

3:25 – Bespoke suspension: dampers, springs, anti-roll bars

4:16 – Pushing the Bovensiepen Zagato on track

5:04 – Switching cars: the Lake Como show car's blue interior

6:15 – Lapping the Salzburgring

7:01 – M4 brakes, unchanged and still strong

7:23 – Cool-down lap and how the chassis rotates

7:51 – Only 99 units, ~30 a year

8:29 – Final verdict: does the price make sense?

#zagato #bovensiepen