2023 BMW M4 CSL Review: Brutally Good – SlashGear

You can genuinely feel the benefits of this diet, especially over the rear axle. The CSL feels a lot more playful than the base M4 Competition, with tail-happy antics that are easy to control through throttle and steering inputs, as well as five levels of traction control intervention, depending on how brave you are. Like the Competition, the M4 CSL uses rear-wheel drive and only comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission, though the latter has revised programming for quicker shifts, which you’ll really notice if you use the steering wheel-mounted carbon fiber shift paddles.

Tyler Clemmensen

The M4 Competition’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine receives a small bump in power for CSL duty, though its torque output carries over unchanged. The CSL delivers 543 horsepower at 6,250 rpm — a 40-hp increase — complemented by 479 pound-feet of torque that comes on strong at just 2,750 rpm.

Tyler Clemmensen

You won’t really notice that 40-hp difference in day to day driving, but good gosh golly will you hear the M4’s reworked exhaust. The CSL has a more resonant titanium rear silencer which really changes the exhaust’s aural properties, and the lack of sound insulation inside the cabin brings that noise right to your ears. The stock M4 doesn’t sound all that great, if I’m honest, but the CSL’s tweaks make a huge difference. It’s a wild and somewhat uncouth soundtrack but one that totally befits an aggressive sports coupe.