(By Tom Lohnes) – BMW has had some iconic cars under the M brand, but one series really sticks out. The M3, the vehicle that started it all for the M brand on the road, is truly an icon of a vehicle. So many generations have come and gone, and none of them has been bad. Although they’ve all been amazing, one sticks out the most: The E46 M3 CSL. This was the lightest, most potent M3 to date back in the early 2000’s, and it is now a collectors item today. Well, the CSL badge and formula is back, but this time it’s got a different number attached to it.
Called the M4 CSL, this 2-door M3 has all of the same merits as the original. There is a tuned straight six under the hood, nearly 250 pounds saved over the standard M3/M4, and a quick-shifting automatic to help improve lap times. Behind the heinous snout of the M4 CSL, you will find a 3.0-liter twin turbocharged Inline-6 called the S58 that is good for 543 horsepower. If you were wondering, that is an even 200 more than the old M3 CSL. All of that twist goes through an M-specific ZF 8-speed auto that then goes to a carbon-fiber driveshaft, all the way to the rear wheels. Around the entire car, weight is saved basically everywhere. There is no back seat, sound deadening, or even a center console lid to save a few pounds here and there. In all, 240 pounds have been saved, bringing curb weight down to around 3400 pounds.
On the outside, the M4 CSL is definitely function-over-form. The front grilles have been opened up for improved airflow, and the car gets a nice set of yellow DRLs, a staple of BMW’s “CS” series. The entire car gets a special aerodynamics kit, as well as some graphics that I hope can be opted out from. Around back, the CSL gets a carbon-fiber trunk lid that is in the shape of a ducktail spoiler. Cool.
If you want one of these, you have to act fast. Only 1,000 are being produced, and prices start at a wallet gagging $140,895. But, the price doesn’t really matter at this point. Why? Because by the time you are reading this, the model is very likely sold out.
