BMW M4 CSL Review

The CSL badge carries weight, and this car earns part of it. BMW removed the rear seats, the sound insulation and a great deal of hardware to shed roughly a hundred kilograms, raised the S58 to 543 horsepower, fitted carbon ceramic brakes and track-oriented tyres, and retuned the suspension with a stiffness that only makes sense on a smooth surface. On a circuit it is transformative and the lap times are real.

On a British B road it is jarring, unforgiving and considerably less enjoyable than a standard M4 Competition costing half as much. The tyres it wears are close to useless in the cold and the wet, which limits when you can use it. Consumables are punishing, with ceramic rotors that cost five figures to replace and tyres that last a few thousand miles. Values have settled below the peak of the launch frenzy but limited production has kept them respectable. Buy it if you have a track membership and a second car.