Meet the BMW M4 CS; the fastest accelerating M4 out there, even if it’s just by a small margin. It goes from 0-100 kph in 3.4 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds quicker than the CSL, it gets all-wheel drive, and focuses on weight reduction by using CFRP (carbonfibre reinforced polymer) elements.
The story certainly doesn’t end there at all. The BMW M4 CS actually slots in between the regular M4 Competition and the hardcore M4 CSL. The CS borrows its 3.0-litre twin-turbo powertrain from the CSL, producing an identical 543 bhp and 66.28 kgm of torque. Power goes to all the wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.
What explains the extra power is that BMW has adjusted the maximum charge pressure of the twin turbochargers, along with tweaking other internals of the engine management system. BMW has also used a model-specific engine mounting, along with enhancing the cooling system, and many other adjustments; the crankcase that is very rigid and has been designed to handle high combustion rates, along with the forged lightweight crankshaft, and the wire-arc sprayed iron coating of the weight-saving cylinder bores, which reduces frictional losses.
The (controversial?) vertical kidney grille is now frameless and weighs lesser than before, while the use of CFRP elements play a major role in keeping the weight down. The BMW M4 CS uses a CFRP roof which brings the car’s centre of gravity closer to the road and hence also enhances its handling characteristics. The bonnet, front splitter, front air intakes, exterior mirror caps, rear diffuser and the rear spoiler are also made from this lightweight, high-tech material. The exhaust system features a titanium silencer with quad tail-pipes and electronically-controlled flaps.
It’s the same story on the inside, with the centre console, shift paddles on the steering wheel and other interior trim elements made from CFRP. The special-edition model comes with M Carbon bucket seats as standard, which is also made out of CFRP. All these changes make the M4 CS 20 kg lighter than the M4 Competition Coupe xDrive.
The interiors of the M4 CS are swathed in Merino leather with a black-and-red contrast theme. It also gets the Curved Display setup with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment system, running on the BMW Operating System 8.5. It gets three driving modes, traction control modes, along with an ADAS suite, a Harman Kardon sound system, voice commands and ventilated seats among other things.
Is it headed to India? Well, the M4 CSL didn’t, so it’s highly unlikely that the M4 CS will. On the plus side, however, the M4 Competition M xDrive did make its way here not too long ago, and it gets all-wheel drive too, along with weight-reducing components.
