The BMW M3 and M4, it must be said, constitute two of the most hotly anticipated European performance machines in the driving world. While the Bavarian automaker has been busy building out its line of high-performance, M-badged crossovers - models that helped put its sales over the edge for 2019, enabling it to beat Mercedes in the US market for the first time in years - the M3 and M4 hold a special place in enthusiasts' hearts.

Lucky for us, we've just gotten a good look at the new models as they blasted around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, looking quick and composed during the latest industry-pool test day.

The G82-generation BMW M4 shows up first in EMS Nordschleife TV's recent YouTube video, tracking just behind a Porsche 718 Spyder and alongside a facelifted BMW 5-Series Touring at around the 4:16 mark. The 2021 M4 is expected to be powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0L inline-six, borrowed from the X3 M and X4 M crossovers, with options for both rear- and all-wheel drive. In BMW's M-badged CUVs, the mill spits out 473 horsepower - or 503, if equipped with the available Competition package.

Note just how much quicker the new M4 looks next to the 5er Touring next to it. The new M car, expected to be offered in both coupe and convertible body styles, is all but guaranteed to be a hit with enthusiasts.

Later in the video, starting from 5:14, we get to see the G80 BMW M3. The M3 has been absent from the automaker's lineup since the 2018 model, but should return soon enough with the same S58 twin-turbo six-cylinder as the M4. It will be the first M3 ever offered with an all-wheel-drive drivetrain, although that car will be automatic transmission-only; to get a stick, you'll need to opt for rear-wheel drive.

The 2021 BMW M3 appears two more times in the video above, at around the 7:10 and 8:30 marks.

Expect both the BMW M3 and the M4 to debut in proper later this year, hopefully after the Covid-19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror. Production had been expected to start in November, but with everything going on, that could be subject to change.