At BMW, CSL means a lot.
Short for “Competition Sport Leicht”, these initials are sacred.
It is no coincidence that the Bavarian manufacturer is using the CSL badge again in 2022. Fifty years ago, in 1972, the first car developed by the new BMW sports entity created by Jochen Neerpasch, with the endorsement of Robert Lutz, the director of sales and marketing, was the 3.0 CSL (E9), a coupe serving as the basis for homologation of a racing car to play the leading roles in the European Touring Championship.
In 2002, to celebrate thirty years of the Motorsport division, the initials CSL were resurrected under the bodywork of the third generation of the M3 (E46).
The off-the-shelf versions of the following generations of the grand touring coupe dropped this legendary badge in favor of the GTS designation.
Uwe Fischer
The year of the fiftieth anniversary of the sports division Motorsport, the most exclusive of the M4 revives with the initials CSL.
GTS or CSL, the proven, identical recipe, is based on a weight loss program and an increase in power.
Compared to the M4 Competition launched last year, the M4 CSL loses weight by 100 kilos (1,700 kilos) by adopting a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) bonnet and trunk, carbon structure bucket seats, carbon ceramic brakes and special light alloy rims.
This program also includes the removal of the rear seat and the reduction of interior soundproofing materials.
At the same time, the twin-turbocharged 3-litre straight-six has gained 40 horsepower to deliver a whopping 550 horsepower at 6,250 rpm.
As for the torque, it is established at 650 Nm,
Uwe Fischer
Obviously, this M4 CSL was developed for circuit getaways.
Instead of the rear seat, the designers have installed storage for helmets and the M driving mode management system has additional functions, such as a stopwatch.
The height of the seats is only adjustable in the workshop.
The aerodynamic package as well as the running gear have also been revised to chase the clock on the circuits.
Thus the front bumper is enriched with an aerodynamic lip while the search for greater downforce required the adoption of a more pronounced trunk spoiler.
The chassis settings take advantage of the experience of the racing M4 GT3.
Largely stiffened, the assembly can count on a structure of aluminum reinforcements under the engine cover, new anti-roll bars,
negative camber and a ride height lowered by eight millimetres.
The result: the new M4 CSL is now the fastest road-going BMW on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, completing a lap in 7 minutes 15.677 seconds.
100 km/h is reached in 3.7 seconds;
200 km/h in 10.7 seconds.
The M4 CSL allows itself a twist by electronically limiting the speed to 307 km/h.
Uwe Fischer
Exceptional, the M4 CSL will only be produced in 1,000 copies.
France will only be entitled to 29 units invoiced at 178,000 euros and delivered at the end of 2022. As standard equipment, the new diva of the Motorsport range is delivered in the Frozen Brooklyn light gray color with red lines. highlighting the carbon bonnet air intakes, the side skirts and the carbon roof.
As an option, however, BMW offers two other colors: Alpinweiss white or Saphirschwarz black.
The historic BMW Motorsport logo can even replace the usual BMW logo.
Uwe Fischer
