CSL tag revived for 542bhp M4

Performance coupé loses 100kg while gaining 40bhp and bespoke chassis set-up

- JACK WARRICK

BMW has revived the hallowed CSL tag for the first time in nearly two decades for a highly strung, stripped-back variant of the M4 coupé - arriving exactly 50 years since the legendary E9-generation 3.0 CSL was launched.

Priced from £128,820, the M4 CSL will be limited to 1000 units - just 100 of which will come to the UK - and is more powerful than any M3 or M4 variant yet produced, gaining a boost of 40bhp over the current, range-topping M4 Competition.

It's the fastest BMW road car yet to have lapped the Nürburgring, recording a time of 7min 15.677sec.

The M4 CSL is powered by the familiar 'B58' twin-turbo straight six, which has been tuned to produce 542bhp at 6250rpm and 479lb ft of torque at 2750rpm, shaving the 0-62mph sprint time by 0.2sec to 3.7sec and the 0-124mph time to 10.7sec.

LIGHT READING: THE HISTORY OF CSL

The CSL moniker has appeared on several BMWs in years gone by, but the last model to gain a CSL variant was the E46generation M3 in 2003.

Also powered by a straight six, the M3 CSL (below, right) produced 355bhp and 272lb ft at 4900rpm, with power managed by an often lambasted SMG robotised manual gearbox.

Standing for Coupé Sport Leichtbau (Coupé Sport Lightweight), the CSL badge was first worn 50 years ago by the E9-generation 3.0 CSL (below, left), which was built as a homologation special to allow BMW to enter the European Touring Car Championship.