2023 BMW M4 CSL Unveiled With More Boost, Less Weight

Competition Sport Lightweight.

The 2023 BMW M4 CSL just made its sideways and smokey debut, sliding in as the German automaker's latest tuned-up, high-spec, barely street-legal track machine.

For the uninitiated, the CSL in BMW M4 CSL stands for "Competition, Sport, Lightweight," with the two-door drawing inspiration from the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL that scorched the European Touring Car Championship in the early '70s.

Outside, the 2023 BMW M4 CSL shows off its bulging body panels in Frozen Brooklyn Grey metallic paint as standard, although Alpine White and Sapphire Black are also offered. Laserlight headlights are optional as well, while in the corners you'll find 19-inch wheels up front and 20-inch wheels in the rear.

Naturally, the 2023 BMW M4 CSL was stripped down for more performance, with the German automaker cutting out 240 pounds of civility as compared to the M4 Competition. Diet highlights include carbon bucket seats, a rear seat delete, and reduced sound deadening.

The handling spec was beefed up with model-specific chassis upgrades like unique carbon ceramic brakes, lightweight springs and struts, and carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) replacements for the roof, hood, trunk, and center console. There's also a titanium muffler.

Chassis rigidity is upped with new front-end strut braces, while a unique suspension tune is dialed in for track use. The 2023 BMW M4 CSL is lower than the BMW M4 Competition Coupe as well. Adaptive dampers and electromechanical, variable-ratio steering are both standard, as is variable traction control.

As for the power spec, those sizable front intakes feed the same twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder as the BMW M4 Competition, but now with more boost, rising from 24.7 psi to 30.5 psi. With the added pressure comes more output, peaking at 543 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 479 pound-feet of torque at 2,750 rpm. That's 40 horsepower more than the M4 Competition. Sending it all rearwards is the familiar eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission. The sprint to 60 mph takes just 3.6 seconds.