The 2025 BMW M4 CS Asks, ‘What CSL?’

Nicely right here it’s. Just like the four-door M3 CS earlier than it, we knew the M4 CS would arrive. Because the Brits say, this CS does precisely what’s on the tin. Which means sandwiching between the top-line CSL and the Competitors badge only a rung under.

Our hero coupe rings up at $124,675. It is spendier than the Competitors trim, in fact. It’s additionally barely extra highly effective, lighter, and quicker general. The inverse can be true; The CS undercuts CSL on value, however can’t match the hard-edged focus of BMW’s limited-production halo automobile.

To nail its Goldilocks mix, the CS borrows from every of its brothers. It takes CSL odds and ends to lower weight and improve visible punch. Take for instance the attractive carbon-fiber heart console, a carbon-composite hood, and titanium exhaust resonator. All are used to chop kilos and blend some CSL taste into the CS (plus amortize the prices of these swanky CSL parts). All mentioned, the CS weighs 77 kilos lower than the xDrive Competitors.

From the M4 xDrive Competitors, the CS borrows its rear-biased all-wheel drive system (known as xDrive), setting the CS aside from the rear-drive CSL. We’ve lengthy thought-about the xDrive Competitors the usual bearer of the M3/M4 lineup. It stays the very best worth, as far as nipping the heels of supercars is worried; A Nissan GT-R by the use of Bavaria. 

After all, BMW’s ubiquitous 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six lives beneath the hood. You’ll know the engine by sound alone—each M4 sounds such as you’ve stuffed tube socks up its tailpipes. This one’s no completely different. 

The CS’s ‘six lays down 543 horses at 6,250 rpm and 479 pound-feet from 2,750 to five,950 rpm. That’s up 20 horsepower from the Competitors whereas sustaining the S58 engine’s trademark torque curve—flat and lengthy as a salt mattress.

From one perspective, the CS is a funds CSL. From one other, it’s merely a more-capable M4 Competitors. Each are appropriate, however I’d give the sting to “CSL-lite.”

For all its further lightweighting, visible fizz, and trim-specific touches, the CSL laps a race monitor solely marginally faster, making the M4 CS the second-fastest manufacturing Bimmer to ever snake by Hatzenbach, blitzing its approach to a 7:21.99 ‘Ring time. That’s lower than 4 seconds off the CSL.

Over a lap that lengthy (greater than 12 miles), that four-second disparity could possibly be right down to atmospheric situations, spring fee, tire stress, or one thing so marginal we wouldn’t assume to think about it. From the angle of a pit-wall stopwatch, these vehicles are an identical. 

That performs out of their dealing with too. Whether or not RWD or AWD, the M4 lays down energy equally nicely. From a dig, the xDrive M4 holds a traction and acceleration benefit over the CSL, however I don’t assume there’s a lot between the 2 drivetrain layouts in any other case, from both efficiency or experiential views.

Execs: Observe Efficiency, Massive Energy, Larger Grip

In all probability as a result of these coupes each trip on Michelin’s uber-gummy Cup 2Rs (although they’re non-obligatory on the CS), sized 275/35 up entrance and 285/30 out again. The CS wrap its French rubber round a set of multi-spoke wheels in matte gold or black, complimenting the 4 accessible paint colours: Riviera Blue (assume Smurfs), Frozen Isle of Man Inexperienced (assume dusty cloverleaf), Brooklyn Gray Metallic (assume anodized metal), and Sapphire Black Metallic (self-explanatory). All 4 paint colours have been available for comparability, and after ample consideration, we’ll take ours in blinged-out Vader spec: black on gold. 

BMW gathered its multicolored fold of CS testers at Austria’s Salzburgring, which lives on the aptly named Jochen Rindt Strasse, simply over the German border. After a chance to dash the coupes down some derestricted autobahn, we headed to the monitor to poke at this BMW’s track-day bona fides. 

After all the CS takes to trace work like wildfire. 

The eight-speed computerized works flawlessly, cracking off fast, exact upshifts down Salzburgring’s again straight, beneath full engine energy. Then the transmission hits equally swift, settled downshifts when braking deep into Salzburgring’s tough and high-speed flip 11. 

At this monitor and another, nonetheless, you’ll wish to choose your personal gears through the paddle shifters. The ECU will get behind the ball while you want energy probably the most, usually a gear (and even two) too excessive when digging out of the Salzbugring’s low-speed chicanes.

The brakes carried out flawlessly too. Carbon-ceramics can be found, as are a set of normal “M Compound” brakes with calipers in both pink or black; The ceramics can be found with red- or gold-finish calipers. Both are well-suited to trace work.

xDrive gives buckets of grip on nook exit, however by no means penalizes with torque steer or push, no matter how clumsily or closely you choose up the throttle. Whether or not or not you care about lap instances, xDrive is the right selection for the M4. It makes final lap instances that a lot simpler to achieve, bestowing final confidence on the meatbag behind the steering wheel.

If the CS has one flaw, it’s the M Carbon bucket seats. They’re suburb-looking issues with a cool material insert working up the seatback. The thrones are totally energy adjustable. They’re heated. They’re attractive. They’re simply not very snug. And for a lot of peoples’ frames, they gained’t present sufficient assist in quick corners they usually’ll ache your bottom on lengthy highway journeys. 

Each member of the BMW M4 household goes fast sufficient to emphasize your inhaling high-speed corners. Hardcore trackday bros will yearn for a deeper, single-piece bucket like Porsche affords in its RS merchandise. With out an possibility that excessive, they’ll go for one thing with Recaro or Sparco embroidered excessive on the fastened seatback. 

We drove one other BMW M automobile prototype alongside the CS. Identical monitor, again to again. The prototype’s adjustable-bolster seats supplied exceeding assist on your torso and much, way more consolation through plush leather-based and a deep nicely of under-seat padding. Observe speeds have been related between the 2 vehicles, however I felt far safer driving the prototype on monitor.

Your physique sort and expertise will fluctuate. Simply give the CS a great lengthy check drive earlier than you determine for your self. 

From one perspective, the CS is a funds CSL. From one other, it’s merely a more-capable M4 Competitors.

Total, it was a wonderful little stint on the Salzburgring. 

The CS’s Michelin Cup 2Rs are masterful issues when the climate permits. There’s a sliver of pleased Narnia, proper within the tires’ helpful working window, a magic spot between unwieldy ice-cold marbles and ineffective gooey campfire mallows. 

With ambient temperatures simply cresting 70 levels Fahrenheit in Salzburg, the M4 labored its 2Rs into that pleased zone inside perhaps three-quarters of a lap. There they lived for the rest of our quick lapping classes, which isn’t all the time a given; Consider these tires as those you’d throw on for a qualifying session. They’re not right here for a very long time; they’re right here to nail a quick one. 

The 2Rs chunk proper after the primary greasy smidge of slip, a sensation you are feeling by the CS’s steering wheel as a form of grainy buzzing rumble. The feeling provides method solely while you’ve requested an excessive amount of from the M4’s entrance finish. It’s not the most-feelsome steering within the CS (and I don’t contemplate the 2R’s as most-feelsome issues both), however the CS affords sufficient of the fitting suggestions by your arms and haunches to get you up to the mark on a brand new monitor inside mere corners. That’s the mark of a assured sports activities sedan.

There aren’t any surprises past its grip, both. The M4 is surefooted and stupid-quick in any guise. The CS simply affords a bit extra. 

Cons: Arduous Seats, Costly Rubber, Excessive MSRP

That’s what you get with this CSL-lite. A bit extra spring. A bit extra damper. A bit extra roll bar. Extra-direct and responsive steering and doubtless the best-looking exterior within the fold. It’s not a lot, but it surely’s not nothing. 

I’ve had perhaps 100 racetrack laps throughout each trim stage within the M4 portfolio, and the CS’s entrance finish does really feel a smidge extra keen to show in than any of the lesser M4 variants. It telegraphs a bit extra highway really feel and transmits a bit extra noise to the motive force. And so far as a distinction in on-track character to the CSL, there’s mere inches between the 2 vehicles. Not miles. 

The M4 CS’s inside feels appropriately spruced for the value. There’s a brand new steering wheel with a flat backside and a slash of pink material at 12 o’clock, a pair of carbon shift paddles sat simply behind the wheel’s rim. It feels particular in there, way more particular than a equally priced Porsche 911 and funkier than the equal Mercedes or Audi, with loads of “///M” fanfare to fulfill the kind of purchaser who’d spring nicely past six figures for a Bavarian monitor particular.

Does the CS justify the value delta between its siblings? For me, it doesn’t. The M4 Competitors xDrive affords 90 % of the CS’s efficiency, however I’d surrender time on the monitor to avoid wasting thirty-six grand ($88,300 MSRP). 

Within the context of the CSL, nonetheless, you’d must say the CS does justify its asking value. The pair are equally quick on a racetrack and look an identical from 10 ft away. For my cash, the CSL doesn’t really feel any extra particular than the CS.

If it’s a must to have the bestest, baddest M4 on the lot, that is your huckleberry, because the limited-run CSL is all gone. If worth enters the equation, then the competent, supercar-quick M4 xDrive Competitors beckons.