BMW M’s 50th anniversary celebrations have given birth to all sorts of models this year, including some that have nothing to do with the M Division. Two of the hottest, however, have the potential of becoming future collectibles, and the Munich car marque has made sure of this by limiting their production numbers.
One of them is the M4 CSL, which will be capped at 1,000 units. It builds on the legacy of the E46 M3 CSL, and M4 GTS, and used to sit at the top of the range in terms of power, exclusivity, and pricing, until the 3.0 CSL was introduced.
An ode to the ‘Batmobile,’ the latter is only a few days old, and if you want one of your own, then you will have to hurry up and place a deposit, as only 50 copies will be made. We don’t know how much it costs, as they haven’t said anything about the pricing at the time of writing, though we wouldn’t be surprised to hear that all of them have been spoken for. After all, it works for exotic car marques, so why not for a mainstream one?
Both the M4 CSL and 3.0 CSL are based on the same underpinnings, which are the foundation stone of the regular M4, and the M3 for that matter, yet they wear different skins. Because BMW tends to listen to what their fans say, the 3.0 CSL’s grille is smaller than the one of the M4 CSL. The yellow DRL signature is present on both of them, and the bumper looks much cleaner on the more exclusive model. Their back ends are different too, and while the M4’s has a ducktail spoiler, the 3.0 has a big wing, and another one added to the roof, in plain ‘Batmobile’ style. The rear fenders are also much wider on the latest and greatest addition to the M family.
Photo: BMW
On the inside, they are more similar, and that’s no surprise at all. They sport the same dashboard panel, center console, infotainment system, digital cluster, and even the steering wheel, and the only things setting them apart are the upholstery and trim, bucket seats, and gear selector. The latter is white on the 3.0 CSL, as BMW said that it further strengthens the tie between the driver and the car when changing gears. Neither of the two has rear seats anymore, as these were dropped for weight-saving purposes. Two helmets can be stored in each one, though we’re not entirely certain that any of the 3.0 CSL cars will ever see any proper track action.
The brand’s straight-six engine powers both cars, with a 3.0-liter displacement in the M4 CSL. Here, it produces 550 ps (542 hp / 405 kW) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque, 40 ps (39 hp / 29 kW) more than the M4 Competition Coupe. The thrust is directed to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and you are looking at 3.7 seconds needed to sprint to 100 kph (62 mph). In the 3.0 CSL, the gasoline-burner has 3,153 cc, and it develops 560 ps (552 hp / 412 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft). The mill works in concert with a six-speed manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive.
BMW couldn’t be bothered with releasing the sprint time and top speed of this model, but it should be about as fast as the M4 CSL, which is their quickest production vehicle ever at the Nurburgring, having lapped the Nordschleife in 7:15.677, and the longer course in 7:20.207. As a result, you shouldn’t act too surprised if the car firm announces that the 3.0 CSL is faster than its more mainstream sibling at the (in)famous racetrack.
Now, that’s only a conversation starter in certain circles; another one would be which of the two is a better driver’s car? The balance slightly tilts in favor of the 3.0 CSL here, but is that the one you’d go for in a heartbeat? Once we forget about the potential of making a quick buck off them, and we factor in the daily driver part, the M3/M4 Competition sounds like the better choice, to be honest. And there is a Touring version of the M3 now too, so you can stuff more things in the trunk.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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