At the Shanghai Auto Show, BMW has unveiled the M4
CS, a potent variant that slots between the M4 Competition Package and the
range-topping M4 GTS. Being that the production run of the GTS has already
concluded, the CS is now the most potent M4 in the company's range.
BMW's M
division has tweaked the familiar 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six engine
to now deliver 454 hp and 600 Nm of torque. Those figures represent
a 29 hp and 37 lb-ft leap over the standard M4 and are 10 hp and 37 lb-ft more
than the M4 Competition package.
BMW has also taken inspiration from the GTS by
employing a number of weight saving measures for the M4 CS. They include the
roof, trunklid spoiler, diffuser and front splitter all being made from
lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic. New lightweight door
trims have been fitted alongside door pull loops. This results in a 32 kg weight saving over the M4 and 10 kg over the M4 Competition
Package.
When working in conjunction with the standard
dual-clutch seven-speed automatic transmission, the weight savings and extra
grunt propel the M4 CS from 0-100 km/h in a mere 3.9 seconds, 0.3
seconds quicker than the M4 Competition Package. The top speed meanwhile sits
at a limited 278 km/h. BMW says that it lapped the 'Ring in 7 min and
38 seconds, which makes it slower than the GTS (7:27.88), and just as fast as
the Porsche 991 Carrera S.
Other mechanical modifications to the CS include
optional 6-piston front and 4-piston gold calipers with carbon ceramic brakes,
stiffer springs and dampers, larger roll bars and 19-inch front and 20-inch
rear wheels as standard. The car also gets the same 80 mm tailpipes
as the M4 Competition Package.
Customers will be able to opt between exterior
colors including Lime Rock Grey metallic, Alpine White, San Marino Blue
metallic, Sapphire Black metallic and Frozen Dark Blue II.
In Germany, the BMW M4 CS will be priced at € 116,900
or € 40,200 more than the regular M4 Coupe that starts at € 76,700. US and
Canadian pricing have yet to be announced, but expect the CS to cost over US$ 100,000 when it lands in North America in early 2018.