Grab a Seat and Let's Talk About the BMW M3 CS and the M4 CSL

Essentially a slightly more practical version of the M4 CSL, with twice as many doors, the M3 CS promises to be one of the best driver’s cars in BMW’s stable. After all, it checks all the right boxes in terms of size, chassis, firepower, drivetrain, and so on. And since Audi is still not interested in making an RS 4 Sedan, and the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 has gone hybrid, packing only a 2.0-liter mill, it doesn’t really have a direct competitor, even if it is less powerful than the model developed in Affalterbach.

Now, it may not be as punchy, but it sure is ready for a hot day at the track, where it will burn through multiple sets of tires before the person holding the wheel decides to call it a (fun) day. Then again, the same can be said about its sibling with two fewer doors, the M4 CSL, so before deciding on which one is your new favorite Bimmer, let’s take a closer look at them, starting off in the design department, where they share an identical face. They have the same grille, bumper, apron, and even the yellow daytime running light signature. At the rear, the CSL has an integrated ducktail spoiler, and the CS a trunk-attached piece. The rear bumpers and diffusers are pretty much the same, and that can be said about the quad exhaust tips too. Heck, even the wheels and tires are identical.

Hop inside, and you will probably be disappointed by the M4 CSL, which doesn’t feature the brand’s curved display. This makes the M3 CS look a bit more modern in comparison, even if only a few months separate their premieres. The two-door model has a chunkier steering wheel, for better grip while the car feeds on apexes. The central air vents vary from one vehicle to the other, but the center consoles are virtually identical. The M3 CS has seating for five, with a proper rear bench, yet the M4 CSL doesn’t feature any rear seats whatsoever, and this approach helped it save 46 pounds (21 kg), BMW says.

Since this is not the only weight-saving measure implemented, one might expect the two-door to be quicker in a straight line than the four-door, right? After all, they both share the same powertrain, with identical output and thrust. However, that’s not quite really the case, because a few tenths of a second from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) separate them, with the balance tilting in favor of the M3 CS, which needs 3.4 seconds for the sprint, 0.3 seconds quicker than the M4 CSL.

How is that possible? By implementing the rear-biased xDrive all-wheel drive system in the four-door and making the two-door rear-wheel drive only. In terms of power, you are looking at 543 hp (550 ps/405 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque produced by the twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six engine in both models. BMW has yet to state how quick the M3 CS is on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, but the M4 CSL lapped the 12.8-mile (20.6-km) long course in 7 minutes and 15.677 seconds, and the 12.943-mile (20.823-km) version in 7 minutes and 20.207 seconds. This makes it the fastest production Bimmer at the racetrack, according to the automaker. So, here’s something to look forward to, finding out how fast the sports sedan is at the Green Hell.

On paper, the M3 CS is faster, weather-proof thanks to the implementation of the all-wheel drive system, and much more practical than the M4 CSL. The latter, however, targets purists who don’t care about the number of seats their ride has, and who are not afraid to throw a car into a corner just because it is rear-wheel drive. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages, and we don’t know about you, but to us, being a few seconds faster at the racetrack doesn’t mean the world, which is why we think the normal M3 is the one to go for, either with rear- or all-wheel drive. It doesn’t cost as much as the M3 CS, and the same goes for the M4, where the normal model seems like a better deal than the CSL, unless you’re a diehard fan or an avid collector.

That said, would you get the M3 CS, the M4 CSL, or maybe the normal M3 / M4 and save a small fortune? You be the judge of that, and by all means, do let us know which one you’d go for in a heartbeat by dropping a line below.