It takes a driver with very good hands to get the quintessence out of it and push it to the limit
The 2023 BMW M4 CSL in this in-depth video test is one of a thousand that BMW will put up for sale. It bears mythical acronyms where they exist that mean “Competition”, “Sport” and “Lightweight”. To extract the most from the most expensive and exclusive road-going BMW M4 ever, there must be a competent driver behind the wheel. He doesn’t mess around, he demands a lot and he has a bunch of horses, 550 waiting to be tamed. Do you want to know every detail of this jewel of 209,900 euros?
The truth is that one does not know where to start: this car has set the fastest lap time ever achieved by a production BMW on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. And it comes with the aim of improving one of the main weaknesses of the BMW M4 Competition, that is, its high weight.
In figures: if a normal German coupe stops the scale at 1,800 kilos, this 2023 BMW M4 CSL reduces that weight in kilos, leaving it at 1,700. And thanks to that, it obviously improves performance, since this 2023 M4 CSL accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds (10.7 s it takes to reach 200), while the 510 hp M4 Competition, it takes 3.9 seconds, two tenths more, to reach 100.
Outside there are many things that have changed. It measures 4.79 meters, but it is wider, at 1.92 meters, and shorter, at 1.38 meters, than the M4 Competition. Also the front and rear tracks with a tad wider, with 1.62 and 1.61 meters respectively.
Where BMW has reduced those 100 kilos of weight? Thanks to elements such as carbon fiber bucket seats, with the rear seats removed (they are not there, this is a two-seater), the hood and trunk lid are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, the brakes are M carbon-ceramic, with wheels special light alloy springs and struts. And there is also less specific soundproofing and less insulating material.
The tires (developed for this 2023 BMW M4 CSL) are 275/35 ZR19 in front and 285/30 ZR20 in the rear. With 400 mm brake discs at the front and six-piston calipers and 380 at the rear and four pistons.
If we go to the rear, we see a distinctive sign of this version that is nothing more than a duck tail-style spoiler. And of course, the four titanium exhaust outlets, which reduces the weight by 4 kilos and sounds like it’s a real wonder…
When lifting the hood, we find some reinforcements that we do not see in the M4 Competition and it is this specific structure and it is made of cast aluminum. The engine and gearbox mounts are firmer, so that their reactions reach the driver less isolated.
The block is still a six-cylinder inline, 2,993 cc and twin-turbo supercharger. There are some improvements that come from the competition version that have allowed to increase the power from 510 to 550 CV. The maximum torque is the same (650 Nm) although it is given over a wider rev range.
Shall we get going? Do not miss the video, because we tell you every detail of what it feels like to drive this beast. Would you spend the extra 90,000 euros that this M4 CSL 2023 version costs compared to the 510 CV M4 Competition?
It is true that you take home a collector’s item, which will increase in value over time, because only 1,000 units will be made. What would you do?
What is wrong? That with 209,900 euros you are getting into what a Porsche 911 GT3 costs, which costs 206,000 euros or a Lamborghini Huracán EVO of just over 210,000.
