Coupé Sport Leichtbau — BMW’s CSL is Back as an M4
220 Pounds Lighter, 40 Horses Stauncher, Meet BMS’s New M4 CSL
The BMW CSL is back! 50 years to the day since the Bavarian brand first introduced the iconic 3.0 CSL and almost two decades since the equally tempting E46 M3 CSL first saw light of day, M has whipped the covers off the all-new M4 CSL. Most significantly of all, CSL lives perfectly up to its Coupé Sport Leichtbau (Lightweight) promise as it loses a chunky 220 pounds to go with its 40 HP tuned-up 537 HP 479 lb.-ft biturbo M straight-six.
M4 CSL Runs Zero to Sixty in 3.6 Seconds
Turning a M Steptronic gearbox, the M division promises that the rear-wheel drive CSL will rush to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and top 0-125 mph in 10.7 seconds for the most powerful BMW M3 or M4 yet produced. The new CSL is also said to be the fastest ever BMW road car to tour the Nürburgring Nordscheife in a record 7 minutes 15.677 seconds.
CSL gains a carbonfibre-reinforced plastic hood, ceramic brakes and special staggered lightweight 19-inch front and 20” rear alloy wheels. Add lightened springs and struts, while structural mods shed a further 21 kilos as part of its extensive weight-saving regimen. M4 CSL stops the scales at 3,580 lbs.. That’s just 90 pounds more than the hardcore previous M4 GTS. Inside, M carbonfibre bucket seats cut a further 53 lbs. and loses its rear seats to remove a further 47 pounds.
Power to Weight Just Shy of a 911 GT3
That all adds up to achieve a power-to-weight ratio just shy of the Porsche 911 GT3. But that’s not all. Ride height drops by 8mm for and M4 CSL gains standard adaptive ride suspension. Cast aluminum front-end strut braces gained tuned axle kinematics, dampers, auxiliary springs, anti-roll bars and sporting wheel geometry. You can tune your CSL’s grip via a ten-stage traction control that caters for track surface and tire temperature variances.
CSL gets its very own take on the M4’s controversial grille alongside more aggressive air curtains and front splitter and a high downforce rear wing too. Those uncompromising bucket seats can only be adjusted only in the workshop, while six-point harnesses are optional and there’s a rally-like helmet holder in the rear. M4 CSL however retains the stock iDrive infotainment, smartphone connectivity and gains an M-specific head-up display.
M4 CSL Shares Ancestors’ Race Pedigree
Like that E9-generation 3.0 CSL 50 years ago was built to allow BMW to enter the European Touring Car Championship, this new M4 CSL also brings an impressive motorsport heritage. The M4 GT3 is already tackling the DTM German Touring Cars and other GT3 championships around the world. That 1972 car also gained a slimmed-down steel body and aluminum alloy doors, trunk lid and hood,. You could also have Perspex side windows and later on that famous wild Batmobile body kit too…
Photos: BMW