If a 473-horsepower (353-kilowatt) BMW M4 with rear-wheel drive and manual isn’t enough for you, there’s always a 503-hp (375-kW) M4 Competition with xDrive all-wheel drive. And if that permanent not quite, well, there is CSL.
With a price tag of over $140,000 and production of only 1,000 units, very few people will ever taste the lighter and even more powerful CSL combination. Specifically, the twin-turbocharged six-pot engine produces 543 hp (405 kW), and 479 pound-feet (649 Newton-meters) of torque from 2,750 to 5,950 rpm. Combined with improved suspension components and a reduced weight of 240 pounds, this car can pass the Nürburgring in 7 minutes 20.2 seconds. This is the fastest series production BMW to ever pass the Nordschleife.
53 Photo
Like this new video from AutoTopNL pointed out, it also had no problem getting to the Nürburgring in great haste. This clip takes us on a ride in the hottest M4s, including some acceleration running on the infinite sections of the German autobahn. BMW says the M4 CSL is electronically limited to 191 mph, which equates to 307 km/h. The car shown here is still factory stock, but managed to hit a speed of 309 km/h (192 mph) before the driver let off the gas.
And it looks like there’s more speed on deck before the Bimmer runs out of steam. Acceleration slows to over 300 km/h (186 mph), but remains steady up to top speed. As long as the barrier isn’t in, can the M4 reach 200 mph if given enough room to run?
Of course, the M4 CSL wasn’t designed to be a straight line machine. Using the aforementioned suspension tweaks along with improved aerodynamics, lots of carbon fiber components, and an interior without a rear seat, its best destiny is corner carver. That’s further bolstered by a rear-wheel-drive versus all-wheel-drive layout, making it slightly slower than the low-powered M4 Competition at up to 60 mph. Still, when cornering turns straight, that 543-hp punch looks like a great ride.
Look Chatting About Cars podcasts for more BMW content, available below.
