If the 473 horsepower (353 kilowatts) BMW M4 with rear-wheel drive and manual transmission isn’t enough for you, there’s always the 503 horsepower (375 kW) M4 Competition with xDrive all-wheel drive. And if that still that’s not enough, well, there’s the CSL.
With a price of over $140,000 and a production run of only 1,000 units, very few people will taste the CSL’s combination of light weight and even more power. Specifically, its twin-turbocharged six-cylinder develops 543 hp (405 kW) and there’s 479 lb-ft (649 Newton-meters) of torque from 2,750 to 5,950 rpm. Combined with upgraded suspension components and a 240-pound weight reduction, it can lap the Nürburgring in 7 minutes 20.2 seconds. It is the fastest production BMW to have gone around the Nordschleife.
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Like this new video from AutoTopNL shows, he also has no problem getting to the Nürburgring with exceptional speed. This clip takes us for a spin in the hottest M4, including multiple accelerations on unlimited sections of the German autobahn. BMW says the M4 CSL is electronically limited to 191 mph, which equates to 307 km/h. This car shown here is still factory, but manages to hit 309 km/h (192 mph) before the driver releases the accelerator.
And it sure looks like there’s more speed on deck before the Bimmer runs out of steam. Acceleration slows above 300 km/h (186 mph), but remains constant up to top speed. Provided the limiter didn’t kick in, could the M4 hit 200 mph with enough room to run?
Of course, the M4 CSL was not designed to be a straight-line machine. Using the aforementioned suspension tweaks along with improved aerodynamics, lots of carbon fiber components and a rear seatless interior, its best destiny is that of a corner carver. This is further supported by its rear-wheel-drive versus all-wheel-drive layout, which makes it a bit slower than the less powerful M4 Competition at 60mph. Yet when corners give way to straights, the 543 horsepower punch feels like hell.
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