Yahoo Autos 2023 BMW M4 CSL: A 543-HP Lightweight Tribute to M's Glory Days
The new M4 CSL is a 543-horsepower track junkie weighing in at 3,640 pounds, after losing a rather heavy passenger’s worth of weight through clever engineering and material upgrades. For those of you who care deeply about Nürburgring times, the new BMW M4 CSL’s 7:20.2 result puts it right between a Ferrari 488 GTB and a 991 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. That’s not too shabby for a front-engine coupé costing considerably less. Yet it is far more interesting how BMW managed to create its most hardcore M3/M4 special edition to date.
In the spirit of the “Competition, Sport, Lightweight" moniker, an evolution of the original 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL’s “Coupé, Sport, Lightweight” badging, the M4 CSL’s weight-to-power ratio of 6.7 pounds for every horsepower equals a 0 to 60 mph jump in 3.6 seconds, while top speed is limited to 191 mph.
Weight
Finding 240 unnecessary pounds in an already performance-oriented road car is tough. However, by making the CSL a two-seater equipped with M Carbon full bucket seats only, BMW managed to immediately cut 99 pounds. Then came the chassis alterations, including the standard M carbon-ceramic brakes (15.7-inch front and 15-inch rear), forged alloy wheels (19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear, finished in matte black), and lighter springs and struts teaming up for another 46 pounds off. A minimalistic approach to sound isolation meant 33 pounds, while additional CFRP components inside and out saved 24 pounds in total. The modified BMW kidney grille, along with the different rear lights, lack of floor mats and automatic climate control lost eight pounds, and the titanium rear silencer is nine pounds lighter than the M4’s standard exhaust system.
Design
While the M4 Competition comes with a CFRP roof panel, the M4 CSL goes further with a “double bubble” CFRP roof, a carbon fiber hood (three pounds lighter than an aluminum one), as well as a CFRP trunk lid that saves a more substantial 15 pounds over the M4 Competition’s aluminum piece. The trunk lid features a ducktail spoiler, and there’s a diffuser integrated into the rear apron also made of CFRP, not unlike the CSL’s mirror caps. To show off this composite extravaganza, the CSL’s hood features two unpainted channels extending in line with the modified grille. These are even bordered in red, just to make sure you spot all the aero.
Running over the contours of its extended side sills and splitter, the red accents are designed to go perfectly with BMW’s new optional Frozen Brooklyn Grey metallic paint. However, you can also choose your M4 CSL in standard Alpine White or Black Sapphire metallic, leading to color options that include grey, white, or black. The BMW M 50 Years emblems are standard for the hood, trunk lid and wheel center caps. These recall the blue/violet/red logo first seen on BMW’s touring cars in 1973, and countless base BMWs ever since. BMW even changed its model badges for the CSL, this time using black surfaces with a red outline.
Lights
BMW Laserlight headlights are standard, and the angular daytime running lights illuminate in yellow rather than white. Meanwhile, the rear lights feature technology making its debut in a series-produced car. I’ll let BMW explain that one:
While all the light functions use LEDs, the glass covers have intricate light threads woven into them which are illuminated using laser technology, bringing a vibrant structure to the surface of the rear lights and creating a distinctive light signature recognizable from a long distance after dark. The arrangement of the three threads, which run parallel to one another across the inner section of the light units and overlap each other in the outer area, creates a visually stunning interpretation of the hallmark BMW L-shaped rear light contour. Additionally, the illuminated “BMW Laser" lettering on the light covers hints at the innovative light technology below the surface.
Woven light threads hit by lasers! Take that, Audi.
Track Performance
