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The Porsche 911 GT3 Comes Out Swinging at the BMW M4 CSL

Back in May, BMW announced that the M4 CSL would debut at the 2022 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Produced in a limited run of just 1,000 examples, the new version is 100 kg (220 lbs) lighter compared to the standard M4, weighing 1,625 kg (3,583 lbs).
BMW M4 CSL v Porsche 911 GT3 8 photos
Photo: carwow / YouTube
BMW M4 CSLBMW M4 CSLBMW M4 CSLPorsche 911 GT3Porsche 911 GT3Porsche 911 GT3BMW M4 CSL v Porsche 911 GT3
With a 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six engine putting out 543 hp (550 ps) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque, this Bimmer should go from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 3.7 seconds. That’s if the launch control does a good job…

With the 911 GT3, Porsche says the main focus was performance, tuning, and aerodynamics. The 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six engine produces 503 hp (510 ps) and 470 Nm (347 lb-ft) of torque. Besides having a bigger engine, it’s also lighter than the BMW (“just” 1,435 kg / 3,164 lbs) and has 40 fewer horses.

Still, even though the BMW’s “CSL” initials stand for “Competition, Sport, Lightweight,” the car didn’t quite live up to that in practice, proving no match for the Porsche from a standstill. The BMW's launch control was to blame, avoiding wheel spin but holding the car back at the starting line.

While the M4 CSL picked up speed later on, it wasn’t enough to catch on to the Porsche. Not the first time, not the second, and neither the nth time had Mat and Yianni had another go at it.

As for a rolling start from 50 mph (80 km/h), the Porsche still came out victorious, even though the M4 did a lot better this time.

However, things were about to take a turn for the worse…for the Porsche, that is. As soon as the guys switched to manual mode, the difference was light and day! Thanks to the extra power and torque, combined with some proper gear shifting, the BMW was gunning towards the finish line, leaving the Porsche in the dust.

From then on, the Bimmer kept winning (except for the brake test), even when lowering the starting speed to 40 mph (64 km/h). The guys had fun, that’s for sure, and even came up with new nicknames for each other…

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