BMW M4 CSL video: £128k super-coupe tested on track

This isn’t just a top-of-the-range BMW. The company has only used ‘CSL’ three times in its entire history. The CSL badge matters, and it’s reserved for deeply special cars...

The last few hardcore M cars haven’t been deemed worthy, but now BMW says the time is right for the successor to the CSL dynasty. A road car, not a track car like the recent GTS models: this is supposed to be less about lap times, and more about thrills. A 50th anniversary birthday present to the M Division, and potentially a last hurrah for the M car as we know it, before electrification invades for good.

The figures are impressive: 542bhp from a 3.0-litre 6cyl turbo makes the M4 CSL capable of 0-60mph 3.7 sec with a top speed of 190mph. But how will it perform compared to CSLs of the past, and can it live up to the badge? Here's Ollie Marriage's first drive from Speed Week 2022: Top Gear magazine's performance car mega-test.