New BMW M4 CS: faster, sharper coupe has the Porsche 911 in its sights

BMW’s CS badge carries an enormous weight of expectation. The M2 CS was a pugnacious, fabulously engaging coupe that won evo Car of the Year in 2020, and the stunning M5 CS repeated the same feat a year later. The current M3 CS has also been a hit, and now it’s the turn of the new M4 CS. Set to go on sale at the end of May from £117,100, the model has already made its public debut at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps ahead of first deliveries this autumn.

Built to take on the Porsche 911, the track-fettled coupe gets similar mechanical upgrades to its four-door counterpart, designed to give the M4 more poise, precision and of course, performance. 

Nestling behind new carbonfibre front air intakes is BMW’s S58 twin-turbocharged straight-six, with power cranked up from the M4 Competition’s 523bhp to 542bhp (peak torque is the same at 479lb ft). The uplift comes from a combination of increased maximum boost pressure for the turbos (now 2.1 bar) and changes to the engine management software. 

Unlike the limited-run, two-seat M4 CSL, the CS is four-wheel drive, deploying its power through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and an M xDrive system with an electronically-controlled locking rear differential (as with the standard M4 xDrive, you can lock it in 2WD mode if you wish). The extra traction enables the CS to reach 62mph three tenths quicker than the CSL with a time of 3.4sec, while top speed is limited to 188mph.

The CS treatment is about much more than straight-line speed, though, and the M4 gains extensive changes to its suspension, steering and geometry to unlock more performance on track. Tuning of the adaptive dampers, roll bars and auxiliary springs are bespoke to the CS, with the variable ratio M Servotronic steering system also gaining a unique calibration for crisper responses. The engine mounts are stiffer for the same effect, and customers can option an aluminium strut brace to increase torsional rigidity across the front of the car. 

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The CS is lighter than an M4 Competition too – although not by much at around 20kg – thanks to carbonfibre body panels and interior trims. The roof, bonnet, front splitter, rear diffuser and rear spoiler are all made from carbon, as are the centre console, bucket seats and dashboard inlays inside. A titanium rear exhaust silencer, meanwhile, brings a four kilo weight saving.

The CS’s forged alloy wheels measure at 19-inches at the front and 20 at the rear, and come as standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber (Cup 2 Rs are available as an option, so too are lighter carbon ceramic brakes). The result of these upgrades is a 7min 21.9sec lap time at the Nürburgring, which is around four seconds shy of the ultra-focused M4 CSL.

Customers will be able to order the M4 CS from the end of May, with prices starting from £117,100. First deliveries are scheduled for Autumn this year.