With a lap time of 7 minutes and 15.67 seconds, the M4 CSL driven by Jorg Weidinger is the fastest production BMW around the Nürburgring. Sport Auto’s test driver Christian Gebhardt managed to get impressively close to the official time by lapping the challenging Green Hell in 7 minutes and 17.08 seconds.
Painted in Frozen Brooklyn Grey metallic, the M4 Competition Sport Lightweight was running on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. Following the hot lap around the Nordschleife, the CSL hopped onto a dyno and pushed out nearly 570 hp and 708 Nm (522 lb-ft) of torque. In typical BMW fashion, these output figures are considerably higher than the official ones: 550 hp and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft).
It should be mentioned Christian Gebhardt has been testing fast BMWs and ALPINAs at the Nürburgring for many years. His previous run was in a B4 Gran Coupe that needed 7:52 to complete the lap. A more relevant comparison is with the rear-wheel-drive M4 Competition, which took 7:30 to get the job done. Sport Auto’s test driver also drove the xDrive version to a 7:28 lap. It goes to show the CSL’s more track-focused nature with a significant weight loss and a bit more power has paid off since it’s substantially faster than the regular M4 iterations.
Outside of the 4 Series lineup, Sport Auto achieved a lap time of 7:29 with an M5 CS and 7:35 driving the M5 Competition. The bigger M8 Competition took 7:32 while the Z4 M40i needed 7:55. In addition, Christian Gebhardt crossed the finish line in 7:52 with an M2 Competition. It’ll be interesting to see the new M2’s performance, and it’s only a matter of time before the G87 will be put through its paces at the ‘Ring.
BMW is making only 1,000 units of the M4 CSL for the entire world and is selling all of them with rear-wheel drive and an automatic transmission. Its near-equivalent sedan, the M3 CS, comes exclusively with xDrive.
Source: Sport Auto / YouTube
