The 2023 BMW M4 CSL is so amazing that it nearly made me pass out

 

The 2023 BMW M4 CSL is so amazing that it nearly made me pass out

I said to myself, "I wonder how mad they'd be if I let it out and completely ruined this Alcantara." I had just completed an incredibly quick run on Palm Springs' Pines to Palms Scenic Byway while operating the 2023 BMW M4 CSL , and I was beginning to feel out of breath and a little queasy. Pure adrenaline was what was making me sick, not the motion.

You've probably heard the expression "happy tears." This would have been a "happy vomit," then. To put myself in the category of masochist, though, the M4 CSL is the kind of car I dream about.

2023 BMW M4 CSL Review Specs

• Base price (as tested): $140,895 ($145,395)
• Powertrain: 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six | 8-speed automatic | rear-wheel drive
• Horsepower: 543 @ 6,250 rpm
• Torque: 479 lb-ft @ 2,750 to 5,950 rpm
• Curb weight: 3,640 pounds
• Seating capacity: 2
• 0-60 mph: 3.6 seconds
• Top speed: 191 mph
• Cargo volume: 12 cubic feet
• EPA fuel economy: 16 mpg city | 23 highway | 18 combined
• Quick take: Nauseatingly good.
• Score: 9.5/10

Lightened, stiffened, and carbon-clad

To a disputed extent, the BMW M4's architecture is built for violence, even in its more basic Competition guise. Aggro, on the other hand, falls short of describing it in CSL form. Although I still don't think much of the 4 Series bucktooth grille, I think the CSL is the model where it appears the least out of place. The M4 CSL's aggressive and ultra-purposeful appearance is meant to challenge and offend, and in that sense, the ridiculous grille actually works to its advantage rather than work against it.

It has new, forged lightweight wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, a carbon hood, a carbon trunk lid with a duckbill spoiler, and a ride that is 0.3 inches lower than the Comp. It truly stands out as a Serious Performance Car for Serious Performance Drivers thanks to the matte fighter jet gray paint job.

If the car's sleek exterior wasn't enough to give it away, entering makes its race-ready concept even more evident. Designed specifically for this automobile, the absurdly bolstered carbon-structured seats reduce a total weight of 53 pounds and are nearly impossible to get in and out of gracefully. Moreover, the only manual adjustments available for these seats are forward and backward. It is possible to modify the height and tilt, although doing so would require a star wrench. Although visiting the dealership isn't necessary, BMW advises that it is "probably advisable." In the meantime, the center console is made entirely of carbon, the steering wheel is covered in Alcantara, and the back seats have been completely eliminated.

You can tell right away while driving the new M4 CSL that it's not your typical M4 thanks in large part to the sound. BMW claims to have saved 33 pounds by installing ultra-lightweight sound deadening, which not only leaves the car with 33 fewer pounds to move around but also makes it seem like it's operating at a higher level.

The 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six, which produces 40 more horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque than the Comp, is the source of the most of the noise and is mounted on new engine mounts. The official time from zero to sixty miles per hour is 3.6 seconds, but the most alluring aspect of this powertrain CSL improvement is probably how it all sounds. The ordinarily type of stout S58 six is ​​aurally transformed into something that reminds me of the best kind of V8 by a custom titanium exhaust silencer. Its high end is appropriately sonorous and delicate, evoking memories of the Lexus LC 500 and its own Lime Rock Edition E92 M3 grandfather, two of the best-sounding (and just greatest) vehicles I've ever had the pleasure of driving . Loudness was always a given.

Track-specific The enormous level of grip provided by the Cup 2 R tires, which require some time to warm up (and even come with a menacing verbal warning from their BMW PR handler reminding me of this). When driven furiously, almost everything the M4 CSL does on the road may make you feel as though you're about to die, but its tires ensure that you're actually not even close. Additionally, the transmission is excellent. The ZF eight-speed auto that powers the M4 Comp is the same, but the manual shifts seem much snappier, and the mid-corner downshifts are smoothed down to prevent balances. This is responsiveness straight out of a video game. Speaking of, the throttle application and its magnificently powerful acceleration happen without any noticeable lag.

All of this combines to create a vehicle that can race along a winding road with captivating ability. Completely captivating and energetically excellent, the CSL simultaneously has a sweetly submissive and ferociously harsh feeling. The hardcore M4 flatters and intimidates with its ability to feed it beautifully into corners, snap off nearly instantaneous, precisely timed downshifts, and produce one of the most memorable six-cylinder noises on the planet when it revs to its 7,200 rpm redline. In my hands, it felt like putty—the kind of putty that can become deadly radioactive if improperly handled.