2024 will be a busy year for BMW M when you consider it will give the M3 and M4 a Life Cycle Impulse. While the sedan has received the CS treatment already, we’ll have to wait until next year for the coupe to get the extra goodies. Already teased as the brand’s fastest production car at the Nürburgring, the new hardcore special edition will slot above the M4 Competition xDrive but below the hardcore M4 CSL.
We have it on good authority BMW intends to sell the M4 CS with a special shade of blue. For this reason, our exclusive rendering imagines the limited-run sports coupe in Mexico Blue and San Marino Blue. Aside from all the upgrades applied to the M3 CS, its two-door counterpart will adopt redesigned headlights shared with the forthcoming mid-cycle facelift. These new lights with sharper DRLs will also be adopted by revised versions of the standard M3 Sedan, M3 Touring, and M4 Convertible, but the yellow daytime running lights will be reserved for the M4 CS.
Although the hardcore CSL is positioned above the CS in the M hierarchy, the latter is going to be the faster car around the track. How is that possible? By adopting an xDrive layout instead of rear-wheel drive. Power from the twin-turbo inline-six should stay the same, at 543 hp and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm), routed to both axles via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
By making extensive use of carbon fiber, BMW will certainly shave off some weight compared to the M4 Competition xDrive. However, the diet won’t be as draconian as we’ve seen on the CSL since the M4 CS will retain the rear seats. To give you an idea of how much fat the CS is going to lose, the M3 CS is approximately 75 pounds lighter than the M3 Competition xDrive.
With only 1,000 units built for the whole world, the CSL will remain the rarer car as we’re hearing BMW wants to assemble closer to 2,000 examples of the M4 CS. Insiders from Munich claim production of the track-focused coupe is slated to begin in July 2024 and end in June 2025. Should you want these hardware upgrades in a far more practical package, the M3 CS Touring is rumored to arrive in 2025.
