BMW looks poised to add another CS badged Clubsport member to its M-car line-up with the arrival of a new M4 CS, which will follow the recently launched M5 CS into showrooms next year.
This first sighting of a BMW M4 CS mule reveals a deeper front splitter, reprofiled side skirts, a more aggressive rear diffuser and a larger ducktail spoiler. Like the M5 CS, we also expect the coupe’s bonnet will be swapped for a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic replacement.
But it will be far more than a visual shake-up. BMW’s engineers will undertake work on the M4’s chassis, too, fitting lowered suspension and new dampers. Behind the wheels of this development mule, we can also see a new set of drilled brakes with larger calipers than on the M4.
Alongside changes to the suspension and braking system, BMW will aim to make the CS version lighter than the baseline M4 model with a number of revisions matching the 70kg weight reduction seen in the M5 CS. Depending on the scale of the weight-reduction, BMW could even look to reintroduce the CSL badge – it applied trademarks for both M4 CS and M4 CSL back in 2017.
Inside, the M4 CS should get a similarly race-inspired makeover with an Alcantara steering wheel, carbon fibre bucket seats and some new seat belts which have been branded with red and blue stripes – the signature colours of BMW’s M Division.
BMW should also upgrade the M4’s infotainment system, swapping the car’s standard 10.25-inch unit for a larger 12.3-inch screen. The M4’s existing 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster will be transferred onto the hotter model, albeit with some new graphics.
As for power BMW, is all but certain to eke out a little more from the twin-turbocharged ‘D58’ 3.0-litre straight six finding its use in a number of the latest M-division efforts. Power could rise from 375kW to around 395kW, representing a similar performance increase to the M5 CS.
Luke Wilkinson