When it comes to BMW M vehicles, the M may stand for Motorsport, but it should really stand for Magnificent. But there’s another BMW acronym, reserved only for very special BMW M vehicles, and that is CS or Competition Sport.
Enter the BMW M4 CS, which blends sporty dynamics, extraordinary performance and everyday practicality, all attributes that are quintessentially M. The M4 CS is powered by a 3.0-litre inline-six-cylinder twin-turbo engine that has been further developed for enhanced power delivery and the characteristic M sound. The engine produces a maximum of 405 kW (550 hp) of power at 6,250 rpm and 650 Nm of torque between 2,750 – 5,950 rpm. It is the basis for the engine in the BMW M4 GT3, which won the DTM touring car title in 2022 at the first time of asking and followed that up in 2023 with overall victories at the 24-hour races in Spa-Francorchamps and Dubai. There’s also a lightweight M precision strut for the engine compartment increases torsional rigidity and improves handling through dynamically taken corners.
The BMW M4 CS accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds, while 0 to 200 km/h takes 11.1 seconds and the top speed is limited to 302 km/h in this special edition M4, which comes as standard with the M Driver’s Package. The official, notarised lap time of the BMW M4 CS around the 20.8-kilometre circuit (complete lap) of the Nürburgring is 7 minutes and 21.989 seconds. The official combined fuel consumption is 10.2L/100km and for my time with this Frozen Isle of Man Green metallic M4 I used 11.7L/100km. This colour and Riviera Blue are new BMW Individual special paint finishes available exclusively for this special-edition model.
The 8-speed M Steptronic Sport transmission with Drivelogic on the BMW M4 CS has been specifically tuned and combined the intelligent M xDrive all-wheel drive system to offer impressive traction from the moment you hit the accelerator. You can shift manually using the gear lever or the gearshift paddles on the steering wheel, or select one of three automatic programmes (D1, D2, D3) using Drivelogic. When you are in the most hard-core ‘manual’ mode, S3, the gearbox allows aggressive downshifts and the engine really growls when you do this, but if you don’t time the upshifts, they can be a bit jerky. There are shift lights at the top of the driver’s dash to assist with this and so you change up change before the 7,600rpm red line.
The Adaptive M suspension makes it possible to adjust the damper characteristics to suit any given driving situation. In addition to the standard COMFORT setting for increased driving comfort, the SPORT programme offers firmer damper settings, and with SPORT+, the vehicle can be used on the circuit. Even in COMFORT mode the ride is firm, similar to my pre-facelift W205 Mercedes-AMG C 63S, and you will definitely feel all the bumps in the road in this M4.
The BMW M4 CS weighs in at 1,835kg and the use of components made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) both inside and out is of key importance here. Besides its carbon fibre roof, the special-edition model also uses this lightweight, high-tech material for its bonnet, the striking, particularly pronounced front splitter, front air intakes, exterior mirror caps, rear diffuser and Gurney-style rear spoiler. These add to the M4’s sporty look and improve the vehicle’s aerodynamic efficiency, while the titanium rear silencer completes the exterior look of the BMW M4 CS along with the Gold M light-alloy star spoke wheels.
Let’s explain some of the many buttons that you will encounter in the M4 that control all of these M car attributes. First up is the M Mode button is for the level of driver assistance that you have switched on. In Road mode all assistance on, Sport mode deactivates the lane departure warning, and Track mode deactivates all driver assistance including lane departure warning and the brake assist
From the setup menu, you have a base set up that the M4 automatically starts up in. You can configure this to your personal preference for the Engine, Chassis, Steering, Brakes between Comfort or Sport. For the M xDrive you can have 4WD, 4WD sport or 2WD (rear), but you can only configure this if the DSC is turned off. Likewise for the M Traction Control adjustment can only be adjusted in 2WD mode with the DSC turned off.
The engine’s acoustic presence adjusts to the powertrain setting selected via the M Setup menu. With M Sound off the reverberation sound in the cabin goes away, which I prefer, and there is a button on the centre console for turning this on and off as well without delving into the menu setup.
Then you have your two M configurations M1 and M2, which I like to think of as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, because they are up for mischief. On the infotainment screen, M1 and M2 can be configured between comfort and sporty options for the Engine, Transmission, Chassis, Steering, Brakes, DSC (On, MDM, or Off), M sound, and M xDrive if you turn the DSC off and same for M Traction Control.
The M4 awakens even if you just walk into your garage with the key fob on you, like it’s egging you on to just get in and go for a drive, with its yellow eyes staring and ready to pounce like a Manx cat. Of course the M4 has keyless entry and keyless start and when you push the red start button the M4 vibrates into life with a deep exhaust note and an automatic blip of the engine. Tap to the lovely leather gear shifter with ///M embossed into it to engage drive or again for Sequential gear selection mode so you can manually change gears with the carbon wheel-mounted gear selectors.
The driver and front passenger are welcomed as standard by lightweight M Carbon bucket seats in a model-specific design. Their full leather trim in ‘Merino’ Black/Red bi-colour finish is repeated for the two rear seats of the coupé and fills the cabin with a pleasant aroma. The M Carbon bucket seats are deep and hug you in tight and to exit you really have to get over the high lip. Both front seats have power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height/tilt front and rear, and side bolster with the driver’s seat also having two memory positions.
The central highlight in the interior though is the carbon fibre lightweight centre console with red ‘CS’ lettering. The standard equipment list for the BMW M4 CS also includes M seat belts with a woven stripe pattern in BMW M colours, door sill plates bearing the inscription “M4 CS”, an Anthracite-coloured headliner, interior trim strips in carbon fibre finish and a new designed M Alcantara steering wheel with CFRP shift paddles and a red 12 o’ clock mark marker. While the standard Harman Kardon Surround Sound System provides an outstanding audio experience.
There’s more than one little feature in the M4 that reminds me of another great two-door M car, the E46 M3, but the most obvious thing is the lack of cup holders, but the M4 does have drink holders in the door cubbies. The M4 has all the tech we have come to expect though, like a digital driver’s dash and head-up display, a wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with the latter working well for me. There’s a wireless charge pad at the front of the centre console with one USB-A port located here and a USB-C port in the little cubby behind the arm rest pad. The voice control worked well for making calls, changing the radio station, and setting a destination on the sat nav and I liked that as you say the address it is also typing it out on the screen, so you can see straight away if it is correct or not.
This four-seat coupé has enough room in the back for two full size human passengers with ample leg room, but head room is tight. It has two ISOfix/two rear tether child seat restraint points, but there are no rear air vents or USB ports. And of course, my children do love to poke me through the holes in the front seats.
The boot lid has powered open/close and can be released from a button in the cabin, on the key fob, and the boot lid. The boot is a good size and has four substantial tie down points and a tyre repair kit. If more space is required the rear seats have a 60/40 split fold mechanism with release located in the boot and the centre part of the rear seat can be folded down for longer items.
The BMW M4 has airbags for driver and front passenger, side airbags for driver and front passenger, and head airbags for front and rear seats. As this is a driver’s car the safety tech list is short and includes front collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and standard cruise control. For convenience you get a standard rear-view camera with a 360-degree view and front and rear parking sensors plus auto lights, auto high beam and auto wipers.
All new BMWs have a five years/unlimited kilometre warranty and BMW Roadside Assistance, with Accident Management is complimentary for three years. The service interval is every 12 months or 16,000kms, whichever occur first and a basic service package for three services for the BMW M4 is $3,209.
This BMW M4 CS was a frozen treat that I enjoyed immensely and not just from a performance perspective, but also the nods to great M cars of the past that the M4 encompasses. As tested the driveway price for this BMW M4 CS including the service package is $277,133. The BMW M4 CS can’t be configured online, so you’ll need to visit your preferred BMW dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The performance | The ride is very firm |
| The extensive use carbon fibre | The reverberation in the cabin from the M sound |
| It’s a true M car | No adaptive cruise control |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.