The BMW M4 has recently taken over the legendary M3's place as BMW's two-door performance coupe, moving the ever-loved M3 to the four-door chassis. The M4 took no hesitation to take the M3's place in the M division as go-to M-car. The 'standard' M4 was never a shy performer with 425bhp and 410ft/lbs torque from its 3-Litre straight six twin turbocharged engine. BMW then unveiled a concept of the GTS at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2015 before the production version was soon released to eagerly awaiting BMW fans soon after. The GTS featured upgrades such as three-way fully adjustable coilover suspension, gigantic carbon ceramic brakes and a water injection system that sprays water into the turbochargers air feed to boost performance when driving the M4 GTS around a track. Couple all that with a titanium exhaust system, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres wrapped around the lightweight 19" front and 20" rear wheels, carbon fiber bonnet and a roll cage (as part of the Clubsport pack) and this GTS is one seriously fast car. An additional 68bhp has been extracted from the engine whilst the newly added carbon fiber adjustable rear wing and the front splitter that can be extended or retracted depending on track or street use ensure that power is firmly placed onto the tarmac at high speeds.
This brand new M4 GTS was driven from the Netherlands by a client of ours who has previously brought us the BMW X4 M40i featured a few months ago for the same New Car Protection service. With only 857km on the odometer (748km of those collected on its arrival journey to us) this M4 was being given the absolute best start to its life. As expected, the owner was very pleased with their latest investment, and you can see why - its a truely spectacular example of German engineering. Lets get to the detail..
The journey for the GTS was wet and rain meant that the amount of bugs collected on the way to us was minimal when compared to the previous time our client visited back in the summer. As the BMW had carbon ceramic brakes the amount of brake dust collected was also extremely minimal (even with the vast size of them), the wheels were heavier soiled with general water splashes and road grime. The locking wheel key was removed from the tool tray in the boot and carefully each locking wheel nut was removed alongside loosening the remaining bolts securing the wheels. Using a low-entry jack the GTS was raised and chassis supports were placed in suitable places before the jack was released, repeating until all four chassis supports were in place and stable - only then would the wheels be removed from the car completely ensuring that they were not damaged or marked in the process. Placing all four wheels in close proximity each wheel was cleansed using Auto Finesse Imperial wheel cleaner ensuring all soiling was lifted with a boars hair detaining brush to gain access to all corners. An all-purpose cleaner (APC) was sprayed onto the Michelin tyres and a stiff bristle tyre brush scrubbed the side walls free of any excess dressing and dirt that may have collected. The matte gold brake calipers and disk centers were also misted with Auto finesse Imperial and cleansed to remove a minimal amount of build up. Each wheel and caliper was rinsed thoroughly in turn.
The arches had accumulated some form of build up that had resemblance to wet cardboard that had collected and splattered the arch liners and lower front of the skirts. An APC was sprayed liberally into the arches before a long reach soft bristle brush gently but thoroughly lifted the build up. Suspension components were also given a light agitation to remove water spots and dusting before all arch and components were rinsed thoroughly with a pressure washer.
Once the wheels, calipers and arches were cleansed the wheels were carefully positioned onto the hub before re-securing them and lowering the car off its chassis supports to continue the detail and commence the body cleanse. Firstly, the licence plates along with both front and rear plate mountings were removed and placed to one side...
To begin the cleansing a layer of Gyeon Q2MFOAM was blanketed over the entire car and left to dwell for approximately 5-6 minutes whilst the wash buckets were filled; one was filled with clean water whilst the other was a solution using Gyeon Bathe shampoo. Once the foam had lifted and carried away any loose surface contaminants safely a thorough pressure rinse then followed to aid in any remaining soiling being washed away prior to the physical bucket-wash stage. As the M4 wasn't excessively soiled upon arrival, a large amount of accumulated road build up was removed with the foam alone.
Using a synthetic deep-pile wash mitt and the Gyeon Q2MBATHE solution the BMW was gently washed free of any remaining dirt that the foam and rinse couldn't quite remove. working the solution from top to bottom ensuring the wash mitt was rinsed in the bucket of fresh water before reloading with the wash solution; the purpose of the second bucket being to eject as much grit and dirt collected from the wash mitt in order to keep the wash solution bucket clean and grit free - reducing the potential for marring or swirling being inflicted due to transferring grit back onto the paint.
The BMW was then rinsed thoroughly once again after once the washing had removed the remainder of the surface contaminants and a dedicated tar remover was applied to the lower and rear panels. A clean microfiber towel was then misted with the same tar removing agent and used to carefully wipe each area being treated in order to remove any potential tar spotting that may be present. Inspecting the areas by eye highlighted no obvious tar spotting, to remove any possibility the first stage of decontamination was carried out regardless. Each section was then thoroughly rinsed to ensure all residue and excess product was removed entirely. The second stage of the decontamination process after tar removal would be to move our attention to any metal filings and industrial fallout that would collect on the vehicle during its time between factory and being transported to the dealership. Once again, there was very little in regards to fallout and very little chemical reaction was indicated in the ten minutes the product was left to dwell; if any particles are present the product turns purple in that area to indicate visually where the contamination is located.
Just as the other steps, another thorough rinse carried away any remains of the fallout remover along with any contamination that was turned into a water soluble state through the chemical reactions mentioned. The third and final stage of decontamination was to remove any further remaining contaminants that neither tar nor fallout removers could remove, such as paint over spray or stubborn fallout that the chemicals alone could not remove. A surface preparation towel (claybar alternative) was then massaged thoroughly over all paint and glass areas to remove any remaining contamination. A polymerized rubber coating on the towel acting as an abrasive will ensure the paint is left smooth and contamination free in readiness to begin the polishing stages later in the New Car Protection. A second layer of Gyeon Q2MFOAM was then applied to the BMW in order to carry away any lifted contamination, remaining product residues and to work its way into panel gaps and water traps to ensure no tar or fallout removers remain trapped.
A final pressure rinse to remove any foam residue and the M4 GTS was moved inside to be entirely blown dry with warm filtered air. Using forced air rather than a towel eliminates the risk of scratches, marring or any other damage being caused to the paint - towel drying is often a process where the most harm can be caused to any cars paintwork. Now that the car was dried, it was moved into the working area to begin the inspection.
Under our lighting, the paint was showing the usual signs of dealership preparation; marring, light swirling and a few areas of streaky glass. As the M4 GTS comes with a painted carbon fiber bonnet they are hand painted and finished before being fitted to a factory painted body. This was evident as the bonnet revealed some sanding marks from the flatting process. Lots of polisher holograms were found scattered over the bonnet and rear bumper also..
The BMW was then subjected to a single stage machine polishing process where fine marring, holograms and the shown sanding marks would be removed whilst enhancing the gloss levels of the paint further. It also prepares the paintwork in readiness for the Gyeon coating to come later. The deeper sanding defects in the bonnet required a second set of passes with the machine polisher to ensure full removal. Working the polish at a high speed and slowing the polisher back down to finish aided in any imparted defects being minimized.
To ensure the best possible access to such areas as the bootlid, the carbon fiber rear wing was carefully removed from its legs and placed to one side safely. This also allowed the underside of the rear wing to be polished and coated with ease to remove what appeared to be more holograms and a severe haziness that a single set of polishing passes removed effortlessly. At this point we extended the front splitter into its 'race' position to allow polishing and coating of even this area.
The wing was then re-located onto the support legs temporarily to make the topside easier to work upon. The topside of the wing had a very severe dulling that appeared to be some form of etching or heavy over spray that the surface preparation towel could not quite remove. This area of the wing was then polished and the defect removed to restore a crisp, clear gloss to the twill weave carbon fiber..
The gloss black window trim and wing mirror bases were also removed of heavy marring at this stage, although these areas did require a secondary polishing step using a fine finishing polish to remove very very faint hazing imparted by the polish used in the first step, this imparted haze is also known as 'micro-marring'. All polish residues and oils were then removed from each panel using Gyeon Q2MPREP, a dedicated panel wipe for such jobs to ensure the paint is as clean as possible before applying any Gyeon coating. Buffing the panels to a smear free finish, the next step would be to begin the Gyeon Q2MOHS application. Using the provided suede applicators, the Q2MOHS was applied meticulously to all painted areas before a new microfiber was used to ensure the product was spread evenly and to collect the excess. A second microfiber was then used to ensure all residue was removed to reveal a smear free finish ensuring every inch of the treated panel was rechecked under artificial lighting before moving on to the next. Application of the Q2MOHS was carried over all painted surfaces, carbon fiber and the gloss black trims to ensure every surface was protected. Applying the Q2MOHS to the pillar trims adds a hardness to them once the coating has fully cured - this ensured they will be more resilient to marring and marking in the future. A one hour time is required between the buffing of the first coating layer and applying the second. The carbon fiber upper brace that was found under the bonnet was also given a single layer. The exterior glass was prepared for its Gyeon Q2REPEL installation by cleaning the glass free of dust and water spotting using Auto Finesse Crystal before Gyeon CLEANSE removed any surface imperfections present along with ensuring the glass was as perfectly clean as can be. A damp microfiber cloth then buffed away the dried residue and the glass was buffed until clear and dried completely before Gyeon Q2REPEL glass coating was applied thickly in overlapping circular motions until all the glass surface of each window panel was covered. Immediately after the first coat was applied to all exterior glass a second followed to ensure greatest coverage and durability before leaving the Q2REPEL to cure for a few minutes before buffing to a clear with a new microfiber towel. All exterior plastic trims such as the hexagonal nose grills were dressed with Gyeons Q2TRIM plastic coating to restore a darkened natural look to all plastic with high water and UV protection. Each individual hexagon in each of the front three grills were treated individually using a foam swap to apply the product for the perfect coverage. Now that the glass, plastic and body coatings installations were completed, the coatings were to be force cured under infrared - but firstly we raised the M4 GTS back onto chassis supports and the wheels carefully removed in order for the wheels could be protected during the infrared time.
Each section was cured using the infrared system at sixty degrees for ten minutes, reducing the overall curing time from the natural-cure twenty-four hours required before the vehicle can be driven - this means the vehicle can be used the same day as it is protected in some cases. With the infrared curing the Q2MOHS application, we turned our attention to the 19" and 20" (front and rears are alternate sizes on the M4 GTS) alloy wheels. The wheel faces, barrels and rear spoke areas were cleansed and prepared using Gyeon's Q2MPREP panel wipe to remove any dust, water spots and to ensure the wheel surface is degreased sufficiently to apply a single layer of Gyeon Q2RIM, a heat resistant coating designed specifically for wheels.Once again two new microfibers were used to remove the residue whilst a sun gun alternative was used to reveal any areas of missed residue that would need to be buffed away - only then was the next wheel worked upon. Once all wheels were given a layer of Q2RIM the Michelin tyres were dressed with Gyeon Q2MTIRE to ensure a sleek over-satin finish that looked superb contrasting the pearl orange and diamond cut wheels. We noticed that the center caps of two wheels were misaligned with the 'M' emblem prior to a slight rotation. A silly little detail that may certainly go unnoticed.
Before the wheels were re-secured to the car, the gold brake calipers and huge brake disk center rotors were also given a single layer of Q2RIM to ensure they remain as new and repel brake dust and road build up - even though the huge carbon ceramic brakes don't produce much brake dust (believe it or not!). The wheels were then re-fitted back onto the hubs and secured before each wheel, caliper and hub was force cured also. Gyeon Q2RIM requires a curing time of one hour per wheel over the ten minutes per section using Q2MOHS.
Completing the infrared curing, the final stage of the coatings would be to give the painted surfaces a final wipe down using Gyeon Q2MCURE; this product is used as a topping agent that acts as a sacrificial layer during the first seven days after the Q2MOHS is installed, even though it has been cured the Q2MOHS will fully harden in approximately seven days and be most prone to watermarks that may become difficult to remove in this period. Once the glass had been cleaned free of dust and any smears, the exterior of the BMW M4 GTS was completed and it was time to move our focus onto the interior, the second half of the New Car Protection.
The floor mats and carpets were vacuumed of minor crumbs and debris from the long travel from the Netherlands before the mats were removed from the car. Gyeon Q2FabricCoat was then liberally sprayed onto the floor mat and massaged into all fibers by hand. After a few minutes, a second spray was given to ensure good coverage. Once again massaging the product into the fibers and leaving the mats dry overnight. The alcantara bucket seat cushioning was also carefully removed from the seats and vacuumed. An application of Q2FabricCoat was also given to these whilst Gyeon Q2LeatherCoat was massaged in thoroughly to the non-reclining bucket seat leather trim to ensure any potential spills would simple roll off the surface making it easier to clean up. The alcantara seat cusions were also left out of the vehicle overnight to prevent the cabin becoming overpowered with the strong fabric guard smell during its time of drying. Dashborads and door trims were wiped free of light dusting using Auto Finesse Spritz interior detailer to preserve the finish of the brand new interior trim. Internal glass was cleared free of fingerprints and smears left by the dealership preparation prior to the cars delivery using Auto Finesse Crystal. The floor mats and seat cushions were re-fitted to the car the following morning along with the rear wing being secured onto its mountings and the nose splitter was retracted and secured back to its 'street' position. A final buff of light dusting and this BMW M4 GTS New Car Protection was complete and ready to be taken home by a very pleased and lucky owner to join his BMW X4 M40i previously detailed by ourselves only a few months previous..
