BMW M4 CS – the coupe that turns the M4 up a notch
M GmbH has pulled the wraps off another exclusive, limited-run special: the new BMW M4 CS. It slots neatly into the gap between the M4 Competition Package and the uncompromising, track-focused M4 GTS — an M car sharper than a Competition, without going full club-sport like the GTS.
It also continues the decades-long tradition of M special editions that began in 1988 with the E30 BMW M3 Evolution. The M4 CS will be built at BMW’s original plant in Munich. Along with the car, M GmbH is introducing a new hierarchy for its line-up: above the standard M models sit the performance-boosted Competition versions; then come the CS special editions, a notch higher still; and on top are the performance-maximising “brand shapers” with a clear motorsport or club-sport character — but still fully road legal.
460 hp from the twin-turbo straight-six
The 3.0-litre high-performance engine raises output over the M4 with Competition Package by 10 hp, to 460 hp. That extra muscle, courtesy of M TwinPower Turbo technology, is enough to dip below the four-second mark for the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint — the M4 CS stops the clock at 3.9 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 280 km/h (174 mph), and the M Driver’s Package is standard.
The straight-six gets its punch from two mono-scroll turbochargers, a charge air cooler, High Precision Injection, VALVETRONIC variable valve timing and Double-VANOS fully variable camshaft timing. It’s tuned to chase the upper reaches of the performance band, yet it still develops serious torque from low engine speeds and stays notably efficient when you’re simply covering ground.
Drive goes through the seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) with Drivelogic, fitted as standard. A separate oil cooler keeps it honest, and you can let it shift for you or take control with the paddles. Gearchanges land in fractions of a second with no interruption in the flow of power, while a long seventh gear keeps revs low — and fuel consumption down — on longer motorway journeys.
Chassis honed at the Nürburgring
The suspension largely mirrors that of the M4 with Competition Package. The links and wheel carriers at both axles are forged aluminium, which keeps unsprung masses low and flatters the driving dynamics. Adaptive M suspension is standard, with geometry tuned for both road and track, and the CS has been honed on the most demanding test track of them all for high-performance sports cars: the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. Its ‘Ring lap of 7 min 38 sec puts the CS squarely in super-sports-car territory.
Grip comes from the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system — which includes M Dynamic Mode — and the Active M Differential. The control systems for the Adaptive M suspension, DSC and Active M Differential have been modified for the CS’s dynamic requirements, as has the set-up of the electromechanical steering. Three modes — Comfort, Sport and Sport+ — are a button-press away. Comfort suits poor roads, city driving and short journeys; Sport is the pick for a keen driver working a twisty country road; and Sport+ primes every relevant system for the fastest possible lap. Get a little too enthusiastic and DSC intervenes in an instant — though in M Dynamic Mode (MDM) it will also allow controlled drifts.
Also very much at home on track are the light-alloy wheels designed exclusively for the M4 CS (front: 9 J x 19, rear: 10 J x 20), fitted as standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres (front: 265/35 R 19, rear: 285/30 R 20). These road-legal semi-slicks serve up unbeatable grip and supreme lateral stability at high track speeds, as well as optimum traction out of hairpins. The M4 CS can also be ordered with Michelin Sport road tyres at no extra cost.
Inside and out
The interior sets out squarely to create a sporting ambience. Lightweight M sports seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara get the ball rolling, and the dynamic flavour runs all the way to door-panel trim made from compacted natural fibres and featuring pull loops. The bonnet — with its characteristic air outlet rearwards of the powerdome — and the roof are made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP): light, extremely rigid and high-tech.
The generous use of leather and Alcantara gives the M4 CS a compelling, well-resolved cabin that’s brimming with sporting intent and no small amount of class. And no M4 CS driver is asked to rough it: standard features include automatic climate control, a BMW HiFi system Professional adapted to the car’s acoustics and the Navigation system Professional.
True to form, the M designers have given the M4 CS looks that reflect its intent. Up front, twin LED headlights flank a front apron with large three-section air intakes, feeding cooling air to both the engine and the fade-resistant M compound brakes, which use four-piston calipers at the front and two-piston calipers at the rear. The model-specific front splitter is made from exposed carbon fibre exclusively for the CS. For aerodynamic efficiency it teams up with the rear diffuser carried over from the BMW M4 GTS and a newly designed, exposed-carbon Gurney spoiler lip on the boot lid, all working to minimise dynamic lift. The OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) rear lights were introduced by BMW M GmbH exclusively for the M4 CS and M4 GTS. Add the long CFRP bonnet, the flowing coupe roofline, the sporty M exterior mirrors and the muscular wheel arches, and the M4 CS cuts an extremely dynamic figure — even standing still.