M4 CSL

Make
BMW
Segment
Coupe

BMW has been celebrating the 50th anniversary of its M division in style by hosting events across the world and announcing a few very tasty performance models, one of the most anticipated being the 2023 BMW M4 CSL. This hyper-focused version of the razor-sharp BMW M4 not only stands out in a crowd but also delivers the goods on the road and track. The recently revealed car gained tons of attention at the Monterey Car Week, and with production limited to only 1,000 examples, BMW fans will have a tough time getting their hands on one. To make the envy even worse, a recent video by BMW_M_Collector M-Power shows that the M4 CSL is actually more powerful than BMW states from the factory. But by how much exactly?

The M4 CSL (Competition, Sport, Lightweight) is a rear-wheel-drive sports car that features more power and less weight than the standard M4. Under the vented hood sits an evolution of the now legendary S58 turbocharged straight-six engine that also serves in the standard M4. In CSL guise, this powerplant produces a healthy 543 hp at 6,250 rpm and 479 lb-ft of torque available between 2,750 and 5,950 rpm. The CSL produces an extra 40 hp over the standard car, partly thanks to an increase in boost pressure from 24.7 psi up to 30.5 psi. This results in a 0-60 mph sprint time of 3.6 seconds, a 0-120 mph time of 10.5 seconds, and a top speed of 191 mph.

As we've seen countless times before, manufacturers tend to underestimate the power levels of their performance-focused cars; some by a little, and others by a lot, and with modern turbocharging reaching peak efficiency, it's easy to overshoot factory figures with a sneaky over-boost function. In this short video, the M4 CSL is strapped to the dyno, and we get to see it do a single pull.

It's rare for standard cars to make the factory-quoted figure; most cars make less wheel horsepower, and most manufacturers quote engine power, not wheel power, so seeing a car make even slightly more power than factory tends to impress, but what this BMW M4 CSL does is astounding.

The run shows a power figure of 605 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. That's 62 horsepower and 52 lb-ft of torque more than BMW quotes. These aren't insignificant figures, and goes to show that you can't trust factory power figures these days.