Say Hello To The New 454bhp BMW M4 CS

Want something a little more hardcore than a M4 Competition Pack that isn’t the now sold out GTS? Here’s your car.

It’s called the M4 CS (unrelated to the Spanish market version of the M4 GTS, which shares the same name), and it looks like quite a machine. With a fettled 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six under the bonnet, power has been bumped by 10bhp over the Competition Pack to a healthy 454bhp, but the changes go quite a bit further than that.

Torque is also up by 37lb ft to 442lb ft, with the newfound poke sent to the rear boots via a revised seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and electronically-controlled M Differential. No manual gearbox option here, I’m afraid.

The suspension “largely mirrors that of the M4 with Competition Package,” according to BMW, although the active dampers - along with the electric power steering - have been modified. It’s been extensively tested at the Nurburgring, yielding a 7min 38sec lap time.

Arguably the biggest change in the handling department is the new rubber. The Michelin Pilot Super Sport boots of the standard car have been shirked in favour of Pilot Sport Cup 2s, but if you don’t fancy the sticky, dry-biased hoops, you can option something less uncompromising at no extra cost.

Like any hardcore special worth its salt, the M4 CS has been festooned in carbonfibre. The roof is made from carbonfibre reinforced plastic as on the standard car, but on the CS, the bonnet joins the lightweight party too. There’s a new carbonfibre front splitter, rear diffuser and rear spoiler smartening up the exterior as well.

Factor in lightened door trim panels (made from “compacted natural fibres” apparently), and the CS has dropped 32kg. The weight saving and extra power make for a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds - a tenth quicker than the Competition Pack. Top speed is electronically limited to 174mph, thanks to standard fitting of the M Driver’s Package.

All sounds rather lovely, but BMW is expecting you to pay quite a lot for all this. £89,130 in fact, which is over £25k more than an M4 Competition Pack. That means the rumoured M2 CS we’re all looking forward to - expected to make an appearance later this year - could end up being quite a pricey thing too.

Would you have an M4 CS over an M4 CP? Let us know your choice - and why - in the comments.