Photo: NM2255 Car HD Videos on YouTube / edited by autoevolution
Essentially an M3 with two fewer doors and better visual cachet, the M4 is all things to all men. And women because we’re not fond of stereotypes that don’t have a place in the 21st century. Codenamed G82 for the coupe and G83 for the convertible, the buck-tooth sportster spawned no fewer than six flavors, of which the M4-based 3.0 CSL is the rarest of the lot.
Pictured in the BIESSE Racing-Bergamo dyno bay with the dyno graph to its right, the M4 in the featured clip isn’t as special as the aforementioned limited edition. It’s more powerful, though, and it sounds like the straight-six version of James Brown’s Funky Drummer on the Mike Douglas Show.
In tune, operatic, and louder than stock, this particular example of the breed produces 537.4 ps at nearly 7,000 revolutions per minute and 679.8 Nm at a tick over 2,700 revolutions per minute. That’s 530 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque, and yes, this example isn’t really stock.
The figures in question wouldn’t have been possible without a badass exhaust system from a Slovenian company that collaborates with many automakers. Akrapovic is the culprit, and the video’s uploader also states two further exhaust-related mods. On the one hand, the catalytic converters are gone to help the twin-turbo sixer breathe out a little better. The gasoline particulate filters were yanked out as well for the same reason. But that’s not all…
Adding a stage 1 tune to the mix results in a staggering 615.7 ps (607 horsepower) at 7,000 revolutions per minute and 767.7 Nm (566 pound-feet) at 2,800 revolutions per minute. It’s hard to believe that software makes such a big difference, but hey, this ain’t your grandpa’s old carbureted wagon.
The truth is, the M4 isn’t your typical performance car. Not only does BMW M know a thing or two about chassis and suspension calibrations, but the S58 engine is underrated by none other than BMW. Every dyno video we’ve covered on autoevolution thus far, the S58 always punched above its weight, cranking out more power and torque than the German make says it does.
Based on the B58 you also get in the Toyota GR Supra, the S58 develops 480 ps (473 horsepower) and 550 Nm (406 pound-feet) in the most vanilla tune available for the M4 at the present moment. At the other end of the scale, the M4 CSL is the torquiest of the lot (650 Nm or 479 pound-feet). In terms of power alone, the 3.0 CSL is rocking 560 ps or 553 horsepower.
Another fine trick up the M4’s proverbial sleeves is the M xDrive all-wheel drive system. Exclusively offered in conjunction with the ZF-supplied automatic transmission, the M-specific xDrive can be switched into rear-wheel-drive mode at the press of a button. In other words, wagging the tail is the M4’s second nature whenever one’s in the mood for hooning.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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