We had reports that a beastly new CSL edition of the BMW M4 would arrive this May. It's now May, and BMW has just unleashed a new M4 CSL, a car that — at least on paper — may lay claim to the crown as BMW's ultimate driving machine.
CSL stands for "Coupé Sport Leichtbau" — Leichtbau means lightweight in German — and it's a badge BMW has only bestowed on two other cars previously. The BMW M4 CSL packs 543 hp — a 40 hp upgrade over the M4 Competition — and 479 lb-ft from an upgraded version of the 3.0-liter inline-six. It's rear-wheel-drive, like a classic BMW, though there's no manual; the 8-speed M Steptronic transmission is the only option.
The BMW M4 CSL drops 240 pounds off the not exceptionally light M4 Competition for a curb weight of 3,640 pounds. BMW achieved the weight savings with tweaks to the insulation, a boatload of carbon fiber and a switch to track-capable M Carbon full bucket seats.
How does the BMW M4 CSL perform? It won't disappoint. BMW says the car accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and hits a limited top speed of 191 mph. And it's faster on track than those numbers sound. With a time of 7:20.2, the BMW M4 CSL is the fastest series-production BMW around the Nordschleife at the Nürburgring.
BMW is limiting BMW M4 CSL global production to 1,000 units — beginning in July 2022. And that coveted CSL moniker and carbon fiber will come with a breath-taking price increase, starting at $139,900 MSRP. That's $65,000 more than the rear-wheel-drive M4 Competition, which starts at $74,900. The BMW M4 CSL will come with standard features — $8,150 M Carbon Ceramic brakes, for instance — that are options on the M4 Competition. But it's still a huge leap in price.
