Spy Shots – BMW M3 CSL

There’s been a lot of talk on the internet about a potential BMW M4 CSL coming to market and with the launch of Porsche’s new 911 GT3, the idea of a lighter, more powerful, and hopefully nimbler M4 makes more and more sense. Several sightings of an actual prototype have already proven the rumours right!

What’s never been talked about, though, is an M3 CSL, most likely because a four-door CSL wouldn’t really make sense as the “L” stands for “light-weight” and an M3 is naturally heavier than a sleeker M4 with two doors less. Nonetheless, our shooters just caught this M3 wearing the CSL-front we’ve so far seen on M4s only.

There is a slight chance, of course, the facelift of the M3 and M4 likewise will all be given the CSL-front – but that doesn’t actually sound more realistic than an M3 CSL.

There arise more questions when looking at the prototype pictured here: What does BMW hide behind those camouflaged rear side windows? Would a facelift for the M3 and M4 really be fitted with yellowish daytime running lights? Or, if this really is an M3 CSL, why does it lack the ducktail spoiler we’ve seen on shots of what we so far called the M4 CSL?

According to a thread on Bimmerpost, the new M4 CSL will become reality this year, with production expected to kick off in July. It would be lighter than the regular M4, because that’s the biggest disadvantage BMW has to fend off if it wants to rival the new 911 GT3. That, although bigger than the model it replaced, tips the scales at just 1435 kilos, and that’s in its heaviest form, with the seven-speed PDK transmission. In the opposite corner, the BMW M4 is quite porky, with a weight north of 1800 kilos.

Given that there’s not much of a power gap between the two sports cars – the GT3 has 502 horsepower while the M4 produces 503 horsepower in Competition trim – weight (or the lack of it) will prove decisive in a would-be future rivalry between the two monikers.

Power figures aside, the GT3 rocks a naturally-aspirated, 4-litre engine, while the BMW has a 3litre engine aided by a pair of turbos. These engines sport different soundtracks and more importantly, different driving characteristics, so once the BMW M4 gets the CSL badge, it’ll be very interesting to see what particular derivative fares against the 992 GT3 and whether BMW manages to shave enough fat off its hips to make it competitive. Especially the latter will be an extreme challenge if BMW should really bring an M3 CSL into production.