2021 BMW M3 and M4 Would Have Looked Boring With a Smaller Grille

That's because a handful of photos have been leaked online, and they're perfect for some early renderings.

We've shown you small-nosed M3/M4 renderings before. However, these are the first ones based on the actual photos of the cars. Israeli artist superrenderscars has made the coupe and sedan look like they were conceived a few years back.

The styling looks extremely subtle after you've stared at the nose of the 4 Series for a few months. Then again, BMW has been messing around with its nostrils for many years. The X7 and 7 Series were widely criticized when they came out. However, that Bavarian automaker has always been fueled by the hate of its internet detractors. I bet there was one guy who rejected the E30 M3 thirty years ago and sent an angry letter or two.

Getting back to the renderings of the day, they combine grille designs from the older BMW models. Outside of the size, the other major distinction is that the bars are vertical. The "weakness" of the old-fashioned front end is probably due to the lower bumper, which has lost the trademark side air intakes all performance cars boast. In bright yellow, the M4 kind of resembles the Aston Martin Vantage, a sports car it could probably rival in terms of acceleration.

That's because the latest incarnation of the twin-turbo 3-liter makes up to 503 horsepower (510 PS) plus 600 Nm (443 pound-feet). If the ZF 8-speed auto somehow messes things up, BMW has an extra ace in the form of optional xDrive. This feature will be added next summer and should make the M3/M4 the fastest car in the class. They've even got a wagon version on the way, just to mess with Audi.