BMW M4 CS debuts at SA BMW M Festival

By Farzana Chaumoo

BMW SA used the first-ever M Festival to launch a special model from BMW M GmbH – the M4 CS.

“Full of innovative M technologies and efficient, lightweight carbon-fibre components, this model athlete can complete the legendary “Nordschleife” (North Loop) of the Nürburgring in an impressive 7:38 minutes, without any sacrifice to its day-to-day usefulness.”

What better place to sample an enhanced M4 than on a racing track! Alongside the X3 M40i and the M5 First Edition, BMW used the M Festival to debut its new M4 model. Each media person in attendance got 3 laps (well, 2.5 hot ones and half a cool-down lap) around Kyalami.

This model is built at the original BMW plant in Munich. It slots in between the M4 Coupé with the Competition Package and the track-focused M4 GTS. It is also a limited edition whereby only 3 000 units will be sold worldwide, of which 60 will be sold in SA.

The M4 CS Coupé has a price tag of R1 838 500 (no, we didn’t make a mistake with any zeros) and hits SA dealership floors within the week. Its price is R426,000 more than the M4 Competition Pack.

So what does the BMW M4 CS offer?

For starters, it does pack a little more power and a sportier dressing inside and out.

With a chassis that can be exploited, the CS is powered by an M TwinPower Turbo straight- six petrol-engine that puts out 338 kW/460 hp and 600 Nm torque. It rockets from 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 280 km/h.

The high-performance 3.0-litre has a 7.5 kW/ 10 hp increase over the M4 Competition Pack. Its claimed fuel consumption is 8.4 l/100 km (combined) but real world figures are always a tad bit more. As aforementioned, the CS has a Nürburgring lap time of 7 min. 38 sec. putting it into super-sports car territory!

The standard wheels on the M4 CS include light-alloys with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. If your curious about its shoe size, it has 265/35 R 19s in front and 285/30 R 20s at the rear. And the semi-slick cup tyres are road-legal. These “provide unbeatable grip and supreme lateral stability at high track speeds, as well as optimum traction out of hairpins.”

If you’d like a different set, you can opt for the Michelin Sport road tyres instead, at no additional cost.

Enhancing elements

 All around the car, designers have added touches that expose the car’s naughty (I mean sporty) intent. On the front end, twin LED headlights can be found with three large air intakes. This serves to provide cooling to the high-performance engine and the brakes.

The M4 CS also has a model-specific front splitter that’s made from exposed carbon fibre. With aerodynamic efficiency in mind, this has been paired with a rear diffuser from the BMW M4 GTS and an exposed carbon-fibre Gurney boot spoiler that minimizes dynamic lift.

In addition to that, there’s also OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology in the rear lights that‘s exclusive to the M4 CS and M4 GTS.

 Should you buy it?

Well, you wouldn’t think a car like this is meant for your daily routine – yet it can be. It’s the sports car in the garage that’s not only intended for Saturdays at the track or a Sunday morning breakfast run. The M4 CS is truly a beaut, especially in that San Marino Blue Metallic. An M4 of this calibre is definitely #goals (mine anyway) and there isn’t in any way, shape, or form, something to discredit about this car. I’ve already driven it briefly, but I still look forward to drooling over them on the road and at car meets. Until then…