News

20.05.24

Car Of The Week – BMW M4 CSL

There are many phrases and cliches one can use in the car writing business, and we hate most of them, but we love one in particular: this M4 CSL is “too much car”. It’s not that it’s physically too large, though not small, it’s that there is a lot of… automobile to handle. It has a lot of power, a lot of torque, a lot of grip and all this while driving you get a lot of attention. 

What’s also funny about it is that BMW markets this car based on what it does without. For example, it does without the M4 Competition’s optional all-wheel-drive system, so there is no moment when the front wheels might claw you out of an unexpected slide. There are the rear tyres and your skill behind the wheel. That’s it. The CSL has no back seats or adjustability in the buckets you get upfront. There is a manual slider for forward and back and hard-mounted brackets for the rest. If you want to sit lower or more upright, you are pulling over, parking, and getting out some wrenches. There is no sound insulation, either. The dash is (carbon-reinforced) plastic, as is the bonnet, the boot lid, and the splitters. The exhaust is titanium, and the new lightweight wheels are forged, all good for a savings of 108.8 kilos compared to the Competition trim up from which the CSL steps. 

The BMW CSL is a powerhouse. Its 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine delivers 20 more hp than the M4 Competition, reaching up to 550. It also boasts the same 650 Nm of torque. What more could you ask for than a high power figure and abundant torque ready to unleash the rear tyres whenever that high boost kicks in? This car is not for leisurely drives.  

That’s what surprises us most about the M4 CSL. It’s a genuinely hardcore car, more serious than anything we’d want with a license plate. Cars like this don’t make BMW’s bottom line anymore. BMW is, for the most part, an SUV company these days, raking it in selling X5s and X7s to regular commuters and steadily pivoting to electric drive.  

But for now, don’t worry about it. You can make this BMW M4 CSL yours, one of only 100 UK cars and 1000 worldwide. With just 1,450 miles from new, our own car is your opportunity to gain access to one of the most memorable BMWs ever made. So, you won’t want to miss it. 

View our M4 CSL here

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