550PS BMW M4 CS is faster and lighter than ever
BMW has revealed full details of the new 550PS (405kW) M4 CS, which raises the dial of the company’s performance coupé up to 11 with more power, a track-tuned chassis, and extensive use of lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics.
Power comes from the turbocharged straight-six you’ll find in the standard M4 Competition, complete with forged internals and a closed deck that makes it ideal for tuning. Handy because the CS boost pressure is spun up to 2.1 bar for 20PS (15kW) on top of the Competition’s peak figures and 650Nm (479lb ft) of torque from just 2,750rpm.
The engine projects its power into the drivetrain with the help of new engine mounts with increased spring rates. You also get the same eight-speed gearbox and selectable four-wheel drive as the standard M4 Competition, the latter of which gets improved cooling for track work.
Performance is vivid. The M3 gets from 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds, 0-124mph in 11.1 seconds and keeps pulling until it hits its delimited 188mph top speed (standard with the M Driver’s Pack). The figures translate to a 7:21.989 lap time at the Nürburgring, about as quick as supercar royalty like the Ferrari 488 GTB.
You should get a soundtrack to match the BMW’s uprated performance courtesy of a dual-branch exhaust system with titanium silencers and matt black tips that produce “unmissable racing car undertones.”
To supplement the extra performance, there’s also less weight. BMW has bolted on lightweight parts, including a front splitter, bonnet, mirrors, rear diffuser, and ducktail spoiler made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic – shaving up to 20kg from the standard M4 Competition. There’s also the option to specify a carbon-fibre front strut brace replacing the standard aluminium version.
Revised camber, damper, and anti-roll bar settings give more steering precision, and the DSC and M Dynamic modes have also been revised to create a car that is “purposefully geared to the specific demands of dynamic circuit driving.” M Carbon ceramic brakes are optional, but the car’s forged v-spoke alloy wheels (19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the back) are standard and come wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.
Spotting the CS from a standard M4 Competition shouldn’t be difficult; it gets two unique shades of paint – Riviera Blue and Frozen Isle of Man Green Metallic – contrasted by the carbon-fibre of the car’s unique parts. Up front, there’s a frameless grille, yellow LED lights, and M4 CS badging; at the back, you get laser LEDs that appear to float in their housings. The standard callipers can be finished in red or black, while the optional carbon-ceramic brakes get a red or gold finish.
The interior gets similarly sporty touches with an M Alcantara steering wheel with a red centre marker and carbon-fibre seats with contrast stitching and an illuminated CS logo.
BMW has yet to confirm prices, but expect to pay £30,000 on top of the £90,000 BMW will relieve you of for an M4 Competition when order books open at the end of May.
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