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BMW loves to tease us with special editions of its cars. The company’s M upgraded cars are legendary performance beasts, its Alpina cars add even more plushness to its luxury cars, and the Competition x KITH versions will turn any of us into track day heroes. But for 2023, the CSL Couple version of the BMW M4 may be the one to drool over.

What does CSL mean on an M4?

A BMW M4 CSL on a racetrack
The BMW M4 CSL | BMW

Since the 1970s BMW has created ultra-special versions of its best cars for enthusiasts. The CSL label was first stuck on a BMW in 1973 with the 3.0 CSL, which most called the “Batmobile BMW” because of its aerodynamic fins and splitters. It was a racecar turned loose on the street. In the 1970s BMW wasn’t as addicted to acronyms and x’s, and CSL simply meant “coupe sport leicht” in German. Today, BMW tells us the CSL stands for “competition, sport, lightweight.”

Though the acronym has changed a bit, the mission of the new M4 CSL is the same: add lightness to a road car and make it something that will feel more like a racecar.  It has a carbon hood, a carbon front splitter, a carbon hood, and trunk lid, and front seats that have been carved out into skeletons to shed extra weight. We didn’t mention the back seats because they’ve been removed, too. Overall, the company lightened the car by 240 pounds.

How much will the BMW M4 CSL cost?

The interior of the M4 CSL shows cutaway seats
BMW carved out the seats to save weight on the M4 CSL | BMW

Take a deep breath. The M4 CSL starts at $139,000, which is nearly $90,000 more than a regular 430i. That’s a lot of scratch for a coupe that doesn’t even have back seats. But, when you’re trying to set a personal best lap time at Road America or Laguna Seca, this is the one to show up with.

Of course the upgrades are more than the motor and cosmetics. You do get a set of carbon ceramic brakes, like an F1 car’s, and ultra-lightweight wheels. It also has a different version of the M Steptronic transmission that can handle the car’s 479 lb-ft of torque.

How many M4 CSLs were made?

The front view of the BMW M4 CSL
The BMW M4 CSL is lower, faster, and lighter | BMW

Production began last summer at BMW’s Plant Dingolfing in Germany, and they only made 1,000. The market for a two-seat, track-focused, ultra-light car is small, and BMW knows that. But it also tried to keep the number small to protect the exclusivity of this rare beast. It’s made alongside the regular 4-Series cars.

Is the M4 CSL the fastest BMW?

If you’re on the Nurburgring, it’s the fastest. The M4 CSL set the fastest lap time of any road-ready BMW ever. That’s saying something. But it does have a 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine that makes an astounding 543 horsepower. While the engine is impressive, the suspension has also been re-worked and the CSL sits 8mm lower than the standard car. It’s top speed, according to BMW is 191 mph.

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.