The ultimate BMW M4 debuted back in May, with the automaker packing more power into a lightened coupe to create the M4 CSL. Production began over the summer, but BMW isn’t cranking out a lot of them, building just 1,000 for the world. Motorsport Magazine got one, taking it to Magny-Cours Circuit to see how quickly it’d lap the track.
BMW powers the M4 CSL with the automaker’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine. The mill makes 543 horsepower (404 kilowatts) and 479 pound-feet (640 Newton-meters) of torque, with BMW cranking up the boost pressure from 24.7 to 30.5 psi. The car makes 40 more horsepower than the M4 Competition that serves as the CSL’s base, but a recent dyno run suggests it makes more.
Gallery: 2023 BMW M4 CSL
The M4 CSL also tackled the Nurburgring race track, needing just 7:20.2 to complete a lap around the Nordschleife circuit, making it the fastest series-production BMW ever to lap the course. The automaker says the coupe will hit 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in 3.6 seconds, hitting 120 mph (193 kph) in 10.5 seconds. Motorsport Magazine put the M4 CSL through an acceleration test earlier this year and hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and 120 mph in 10.9, both on par with the company’s performance claims.
The M4 CSL lapped Magny-Cours in 1:20.10, beating the M4 GTS that needed 1:20.40 to make its way around the track. The M4 CSL also bested the Porsche 992 Carrera S. However, the BMW lost to the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS by nearly a second, with the Porsche returning a time of 1:19.13.
The M4 CSL differentiates itself from the M4 Competition with unique visual and performance capabilities. The CSL’s revised suspension lowered the ride height by 0.3 inches. It has large 15.7-inch front brakes and beefy 15.0-inch ones at the rear, which sit behind staggered 20- and 21-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. The 2023 BMW M4 CSL has a $140,895 starting price, which includes the $995 destination charge.
