What’s more special than a CSL? A 3.0 CSL, of course.
BMW has confirmed it’s readying an ultra-limited version of the M4 CSL revealed at Villa d’Este to celebrate 50 years of M GmbH, and our spy photographers have snapped it in action.
Just 50 are expected to be built with looks inspired by the 1972 3.0 CSL homologation special. BMW showed us how that might look with the CSL Hommage concept in 2015, but we’re expecting some changes for production in 2022.
The covers are expected to come off the production car towards the end of 2022. A name hasn’t been confirmed, but reports suggest BMW will keep it simple and dust off the 3.0 CSL badge.
The 3.0 CSL is expected to be available exclusively with rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. The 6MT FTW sticker on the rear of the prototype pictured here is a nod to that fact.
Under the bonnet is expected to be a more powerful version of the M4 CSL’s 3.0-litre S58 twin-turbo inline-six-cylinder engine, which could produce as much as 447kW of power.
For context, the S58 engine in the M4 CSL produces 405kW of power, which is an additional 30kW hike over the regular M4 Competition.
This additional power could slash the 0-100km/h sprint time to around 3.5 seconds, with a top speed exceeding 300km/h.
The M4’s undergone a crash diet, too, in the transformation to the 3.0 CSL, losing its rear seats, as well as featuring a simplified instrument panel and slimmer front seats. Expect lots of carbon fibre, too.
It’ll reportedly weight just 1550kg, which is 75kg lighter than the M4 CSL – which itself is 100kg lighter than the regular M4 coupe.
It’ll be expensive, with a rumoured asking price of between €600,000 to €700,000 ($A914,365 to $A1.06 million).
BMW has been commemorating 50 years of its M division with a swarm of new high-performance vehicles.
BMW M4 CSL 
CSL Hommage 
So far it has revealed the BMW M3 Touring, M4 CSL, M3 and M4 50 Jahre special editions, and the all-electric iX M60.
BMW has already confirmed it plans to reveal the new-generation M2 in October 2022, as well as a production version of the Concept XM plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV at the end of 2022.
Other new BMW M vehicles expected to be revealed this year include the M3 CS sedan, and a manual-equipped M4 GT/H.
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