Germany's Alpha-N Performance's new CRT kit for the BMW M4 shows that aftermarket upgrades can offer subdued improvements rather than making your vehicle cartoonishly ostentatious. By taking inspiration from the Bavarian automaker's own M3 CRT sedan, the firm creates a tuned sports coupe that looks like something the factory would offer.
Alpha-N's M4 CRT features carbon fiber parts for the front splitter and rear spoiler. The piece at the nose is barely noticeable but provides a bit of aggressiveness when viewing the vehicle in profile. The new attachment on the trunk is far more prominent. The part also produces 117 pounds (53 kilograms) of downforce at 124 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour).
Alpha-N also installs its EVOX Stage 1 engine upgrade. The kit takes output to 520 horsepower (388 kilowatts), which is a healthy upgrade over the stock 425 hp (317 kW).
To show off the kit, the aftermarket firm fits some extra performance goodies on the M4. A fully-adjustable Öhlins Road and Track Coilover suspension hunkers the body down over a set of 20-inch HRE Performance Wheels. Mounting 265/30 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in front and 295/30 rubber in the rear should make the coupe stick to the road. Inside, the firm installs a set of Recaro Pole Position seats.
It's generally the two-door variants of the M3 (and now M4) that get special edition models like the GTS and CS. However, the M3 CRT sedan broke from this convention in 2011. A carbon fiber hood and seats helped cut weight. The titanium exhaust was lighter than the stock unit, too, plus it gave the four-door a better sound. Power came from the GTS' 4.4-liter V8 with 444 hp (331 kW), and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox routed grunt to the rear. Unfortunately, the company built just 67 of these meaner models, which made them a collector's item from the moment they arrived in showrooms.
