Wednesday 11th May 2022

BMW M4 CSL previewed ahead of reveal 

There's a Nurburgring lap time coming, too. A quick one, by all accounts...

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Though some will tell you BMW M has lost its way, a few things remain sacred - the CSL badge is one of them. It’s been used twice in half a century, reserved only for the most special of two-door, six-cylinder, road racer BMWs. You won’t find an original 70s’ CSL for less than £100k, and there aren’t many M3 CSLs left below six figures, either - both, as you’re probably aware, are very special cars.  

So there’s an awful lot riding on this M4 CSL, confirmed by BMW last week and previewed here ahead of a debut next week. BMW knows it, too; this video is presented by Jorg Weidinger, responsible for ‘Functional Integration Driving Dynamics’ in the new car. He’s reverential about the E46 CSL, which the new car pays homage to with its kicked up bootlid, describing it as a car “which brought great emotion to all of us.” 

But this new CSL is going to be far more than an iconic badge and a snazzy new spoiler, which Jorg is only too happy to discuss. The M4 will be available with Michelin Cup 2 R tyres, typically the preserve of mid-engined exotics and a nice nod back to the M3, which was infamously launched with the original Cup tyres that didn’t much like inclement weather. No such issues this time around though, it seems, as the car is trundled around a road route on a grey day without drama. Maybe a British take on miserable weather might prove more testing.

Though road testing is inevitably a big part of the development programme - “in most cases the customers doesn’t have a race track on their doorstep” - the Nurburgring assessment is the really exciting bit. The M3 nipped in under eight minutes 20 years ago, and the standard M4 has already proven fearsomely quick around the 13 miles. We’ve seen the CSL testing there, the additional aero is plain to see and any reduction in mass will surely pay dividends on circuit. Jorg adds in the video that this car is “significantly faster on the racetrack than anything we’ve had before” and that “we will put the whole thing into practice in terms of a lap time”. Just in case this whole CSL project wasn’t exciting enough. How close to seven minutes might it get?

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• 2022 BMW M4 CSL confirmed for May
• 2021 BMW M4 Competition xDrive | PH Review

[C.MW]

Used to drive an e92 m3. This thing might as well do the feat in 7 seconds, not 7 minutes, and I still wouldn't consider it as long as it comes out with the fugly front. A car is an object and as such should not be offensive to look at. Make it look london-cab boring and that would be better than this absolute I-know-better st.

[WCZ]

sounds like it's going to be good. very curious to see if they will make any weight reduction though

to have the same percentage of weight reduction as the e46 csl had they will have to remove 217kg which will be tricky imo

not surprised it's going to be faster than anything they've made before if it's on Cup 2 R's

the front looks awful but every new bmw looks horrible now

[thelostboy]

WCZ said:

to have the same percentage of weight reduction as the e46 csl had they will have to remove 217kg which will be tricky imo

That's what I was wondering. The fact they are going back to CSL (i.e. lightweight) rather than GTS from the last two generations would suggest they will make an effort with the weight.

The cynic in me just wonders of the M4 CSL will be be 2WD only, making it easy to call it "lightweight" in comparison with a fully loaded 4WD M4. I somehow doubt they will do the M4 CSL with no air con and radio, like the E46 did.

[Advevo]

BMW M

Make cars bigger, heavier, more HP, wider wheels, bigger heavier brakes, stickier tires and go faster on the Nring. Put a big price tag on it and sell it to the Fanboys.

CSL Coupe, Sports, Lightweight

Lightweight 1600kg plus?

[danp]

WCZ said:

sounds like it's going to be good. very curious to see if they will make any weight reduction though

to have the same percentage of weight reduction as the e46 csl had they will have to remove 217kg which will be tricky imo

not surprised it's going to be faster than anything they've made before if it's on Cup 2 R's

the front looks awful but every new bmw looks horrible now

E46 CSL was 1460kg compared to 1570kg for the normal one, using the EU1 figures (inc 90% tank, 68kg driver, 7kg luggage) - i.e. it was 110kg lighter, not 185kg.

[big_rob_sydney]

I'm wondering how much this fatty will weigh? Can't help but see an elephant in a pink tutu trying to tip toe over a racetrack.

[cerb4.5lee]

The ride is my biggest niggle in the F82 M4, so it is good to hear that there has been some focus with this car ride wise I reckon. I'm looking forward to seeing what it weighs too.

[cerb4.5lee]

WCZ said:

not surprised it's going to be faster than anything they've made before if it's on Cup 2 R's

I bet those tyres will be fun on a cold and wet winters day in the UK!

[liner33]

cerb4.5lee said:

The ride is my biggest niggle in the F82 M4, so it is good to hear that there has been some focus with this car ride wise I reckon. I'm looking forward to seeing what it weighs too.

Ride is fab with regular G82 but this looks like its going to have different springs and dampers so i bet it will be more track focussed, the general consensus looking at the details like wheels, seats, suspension etc is this car is likely to be getting towards £150k !

[cerb4.5lee]

liner33 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

The ride is my biggest niggle in the F82 M4, so it is good to hear that there has been some focus with this car ride wise I reckon. I'm looking forward to seeing what it weighs too.

Ride is fab with regular G82 but this looks like its going to have different springs and dampers so i bet it will be more track focussed, the general consensus looking at the details like wheels, seats, suspension etc is this car is likely to be getting towards £150k !

I recently specced up a G82 M4 xDrive on the configurator(in the same colour as yours ) and it came to almost £93k. I didn't go completely mad with the options either, so they are definitely expensive cars now as you say.

[Court_S]

It's going to be interesting to see what they actually do with the new CSL. Given the love for the E46 CSL, it has some huge boots to fill, not that BMW will care too much about that sort of stuff as long as they can shift them for as much cash as possible.

My issue is that I'm not a fan of the aesthetics of the base car (and it's not just the grilles).

[MountainsofSussex]

Interior doesn't look exactly striped bare in the video. On the interior video, perhaps the rear seats are missing? Perhaps 4er owner can tell? Would have been nice to have a big round hole in the lower bumper as a homage, rather than all that triangular "aggression"

[anonymous-user]

Anyway we can stop the squashed photos on articles?

[MountainsofSussex]

ajap1979 said:

Anyway we can stop the squashed photos on articles?

That's just how current BMWs look!

[Twinair]

I have a G82 - I can directly say:

Ride is very good, yes it has some mass & you do notice that on occasion. In general - it’s devastating across country - back to back on roads where I used to paddle my M2C - this is way faster. Not necessarily more fun - it’s a different car.

Looks wise, I have not had anyone ‘cross the road or walk over’ and say: it’s ‘effing ugly’ you must be a blind idiot, etc etc I have had people cross the road and say: ‘Wow, what a monster, epic, love it’. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all.

Cost, yep they are getting costly. Availability is there - but it’s not great. I dealt with 4 dealers to secure mine. Basically all the dealers I spoke to are doing: ‘Margin over volume’. Obviously - supply is severely constrained and they are not doing: ‘10k off the list to move units’. You can still get a deal - but you have to work hard for not much ££££. Flip side - I got stellar money for my M2C.

With regards to the CSL - of course it will be quicker, no doubt, and if you can get one & you can really afford it, I am sure the devastating capability will be even more improved.

To be honest, the ‘regular’ Xdrive at 500+ hp - could be all you can use on the road, the CSL probably even more so…

If you can ‘CSL’ - you probably should! Let’s see when it breaks cover…

[Matthew7711]

I’m obviously very biased to the older, 20 year old E46 CSL and I really can’t see how they intend to loose so much weight with this example.

It’s just too big and doesn’t look good.

The E9 CSL and E46 CSL have something special about them. I hope to be proved wrong with the new M4 CSL.

[WCZ]

Matthew7711 said:

I’m obviously very biased to the older, 20 year old E46 CSL and I really can’t see how they intend to loose so much weight with this example.

if they want to they can lose weight

the bentley continental is 2,300kg
the contiental cup car is around 1,260kg with a giant wing

[mrclav]

WCZ said:

if they want to they can lose weight

the bentley continental is 2,300kg
the contiental cup car is around 1,260kg with a giant wing

There's a reason no-one in the public would buy a Continental GT3, regardless of how much it weighs:-





Also, it's £418,000...


There is absolutely no way BMW would ever want to do anything like that for a car on sale to the general public - the CSL isn't made to lose that much weight for a reason as the actual market who spend that kind of money on a road-legal car want all the luxuries/comforts of the normal G82s, not have them removed and the interior made into a barren wasteland.

Edited by mrclav on Wednesday 11th May 16:10

[Demonix]

Least the stripped out Bentley is easier on the eye!

[pycraft]

I like the way they cut the grilles out of the front camouflage. Saves anyone getting their hopes up. Very thoughtful.