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I have had the privilege of driving hard, my friend's 991.2 GT3 Manual with Manthay bits and his M4 CSL, and I personally prefer the CSL. As special as his Porsche is, I think because I used to own the previous M4 Competition I gelled more with the CSL. Great review James, thank you
Mm not worried about that tbh. What about the duck tail boot lid and csl badging the red detail and the other little extras underneath?! Your worried about some rear lights that any m4 owner could probably retrofit anyway? On a car none of us will even ever buy probably? lol
I have no problem with that. Everyone absoulty fell in love with them and it made bmws design really stand out. This car still has carbon fiber trunk and hood amongst other things.
@ exactly whatever they put on the m4 csl they could retro fit. It won’t be a factory m4 csl though will it! lol which is the same for any vehicle really. If I wanted I could buy a 2 series change every part on it to be an m2 but, it wouldn’t be an official m2. So worrying about bmw now offering the rear lights? No big deal if you ask me
@@BagBreakerMMA That comes across as pure 15yo boy butthurt! 🤣 It's a bit hard to look away when it's the first thing that pops on the screen if you hadn't noticed Nick. 🙄 Why would I look away when I'm pointing and laughing at the hilarious clown car? Where in my comment did you conjure up in that mellon of yours that I have sour grapes? Strange perception of language you got going on Nick ol boy (you are British, I can just tell by the smell of sensible brown shoes) 🍇🥰
Can I recommend the carbon fibre vomit bucket option. It has a chronograph so you can record vomit activity day to day, although that does require a monthly subscription
Good video, thanks. Came close to one of these a year back. Having owned the e9 and e46 variants I was intrigued by the new CSL. I decided against it because it lacks authenticity to me - more as though the marketeers had more of a say than the engineers. However, as you say, with prices reflecting this, I can see the appeal.
I drove my friend’s one in the bleak winter of January’24. What a car. Feels special. You really should experience it in the flesh. Definitely worthy of the name above the M3/4 competition
I'm sure it is everything a modern M4 dialled up to 11 should be, but listening to that drive past, and comparing it to any E46 CSL sound doing the same thing makes it very clear to me which one I'd prefer.
Old bmw fan boy here to. I’ve bought 8 vehicles in my Life and out of the first 6, 5 were BMWs. And total is 6/8. The last 2 though haven’t been. They just seem to have lost something and it’s hard to put your finger on what. They don’t seem to be ultimate driving machines anymore and made more to sell in large numbers over driver engagement. The price probably has something to do with it, I love the m3 touring but 90 odd k is crazy money.
CC brakes just a way for OEMs to game curb weights and stopping distances on large/heavy cars. In real world they are cost-prohibitive for the track unless you're running a sponsored race team, and don't get up to temp on the street.
Kind of unusual hearing you doing a voiceover for the intro to the review. But I do kind of like that. Also, very interesting observation there. I've read many reviews of M4 CSL on the magazine and many of them came to mostly similar conclusion: M4 CSL was a huge miss, absolutely lethal to drive on wet, way too uncomfortable on the road, way too heavy for track use, and ultimately isn't special enough to warrant the CSL plaque and felt like a poor relation to the magnificent M5 CS and M2 CS of old. Your review is the first (and so far the only one) that actually gave the new M4 CSL fair amount of praise.
Probably being the reason that you simply can't do on the road what you can attempt on track. Chris Harris said something similar about the new Aston Martin Vantage, where he didn't enjoy it on track and much preferred it on a fast road. Interesting Jay-observation being that he thought the old M4 GTS was a good car; I remember the car media being quite critical of that too.
I think the slept on unicorn, and understandably so because they made 67 of them, is the E90 M3 CRT saloon, essentially a 4 door version of the E92 M3 GTS.
@ Very true Jay. I wish they still made the “ultimate driving machine” but those days like my old cars are long gone 🥲 Thank you for consistently great content in 2024 and I wish you a prosperous and successful 2025.
I think for 130k I'd take a 911 GTS, or for 15k less, an M3 CS - The all wheel drive of that car appeals much more. And I'd be surprised if the BMW felt better to drive than a 911 GTS
The Porsche is the better car in every way but it’s such a predictable boring choice, the CSL for all its flaws is at least a little different. Looks mean in black too.
Much of the price comes from its exclusivity. Everyone who can afford one can go and buy a 911 GTS the CSL is a limited production run I think so that alone will add to its msrp
The last car I saw burnt to a shell was an M4. Parking spot off the dual carriageway, but only a quarter mile from the Fire Station. There was literally nothing left salvagable. Maybe just a one off, but a lot off car to go up in smoke.
Some men are used to holding onto a bit of extra girth. 😁 I didn't notice till you mentioned it and yea, that wheel looks crazy fat n spongy. Now I can't stop looking at the thing. 🙄
James. A question. You drove a old Clk Amg 55 not long ago. I have driven a M8 competition. They are looking a great proposition pricewise at the moment! Based on the new price of this car and the fact that you can pick up a good condition Clk Amg 55 from 7k upwards where does this leave this M4? Obviously the 55 is not in the same league as this car.The Clk Amg 55 I give 10 out of the 10 based on its cost. How much do you give this M4 CSLout of 10? Look forward to hearing from you.
I actually love the way this car looks. I have a 24 G82 Comp and I love the car. Some after market mods and tunes and you take of this big girls shackles.
BMW have definitely lost their way. I used to love the brand and have had lots of BMW’s in the past. I am truly disappointed with how the brand is now.
@@johnstape4488 sadly no, the brand new one. Of course I will never ever buy a shitty 2L FWD🤦♂️ Some people like my dad pay no attention to specs, only price.
looks like a mustang from side on. i think the m4 cs previous gen is the better value/safer investment. should really have put some sort of carbon intake or engine cover. the carbon intake was the show piece of the last csl. a lot of people hate the front but for me its the rear arches that are terrible. they make even the 20 inch wheels look small.
This is definitely interesting and from some angles looks good. But I just can't get past the grill. If I had completely lost my mind and bought a modern BMW I would drop down 2 classes and get an M2. Even though I despise its existence because it made the M3 both a sedan and overpriced.
No one is more 'dyed-in-wool' BMW than me having driven them since my first car, aged 19 in 1982, a 1974 2002tii. Since then, there are 42 years of unbroken BMW ownership which runs to nearly 70 of them, including E30 M3 and E46 CSL. But...Jesus Christ! That thing is bloody ugly!
Tbh. I've a G82 M4, and they're exceptional cars. The CSL is obviously not really supposed to be a road car. It's designed for the track like a GT3. Plus, you can not extract their potential on the public road. They're simply too fast. But overall, as a package, they're a great car. Hence, the myriad of top reviews from other sources.
I got a g87 manual so the cheapest car on the same platform. And its a blast, I really would like to drive a m4CSL, but the perfect spec for me would it be with a manual as in the 3.0 CSL^^
Hi James, rather than use the audio from the exhaust to demonstrate the cars sound, can you use the audio from inside the cabin? Most new cars don’t sound like much from the outside these days
I didn’t realise it was rwd until watching this. It must be fun in the wet with 550bhp Have you tried the M2 yet? I tried to find a video but couldn’t find one
I have given up changing with my M2 - it reminds me of an old style US muscle car while the dash is the same as that from when I was 18 - it’s daft and frisky and breaks traction easily - so you have fun at easy speeds. This car is clearly superb - but does it really get fun on the road? My M2 is a daft little thing - are many cars not just too competent to enjoy?
I had the old CSL and I’m gutted I sold it. Although at the time I couldn’t live with the gearbox. When driven hard it would constantly throw error codes for the gearbox. But handling wise it felt a million miles from the regular M3. The geometry and th engine noise were spectacular. Make sure you find one to try! (And make sure to unlock it he extra ‘track’ gearbox setting that’s not shown on the dash 😊)
@ from memory yes. Can’t quite recall exactly what order things needed to be done. But the gearbox has that ‘graded lines’ display and there’s another line to be found 👍
Just to add - I’ve not had a car since that felt as ‘up on its toes’ as the CSL. It felt genuinely light. I bought a regular M3 a few years later to make my own homemade CSL and it became clear very quickly that I wouldn’t be able to. The quicker steering rack made a huge difference. Be keen to see what to reckon when you get one to try. Cheers
I don’t know why bmw moved away from those lovely hinges they used to use for the boot lid (ala e39). Better for cargo space and aesthetically pleasing to look at.
I guess at least you can't see how f-ugly it is when you're driving it. But, honestly, how can anyone drop soooooo much dough on something so woefully wrong in the looks department. It's not simply the front, either...
As far as I know, they are yellow when 1) the car is off, and 2) main beams are on. Otherwise they have to be white when they are the only light source at the front. When parked it doesn't matter and when main beams are on, they are the main light source and therefore yellow DRLs are only a design feature and not functional light. Has to do with laws and stuff.
Ahh I wouldn't say "depreciation free" - it's been been depreciation enhanced and accelerated up to now. I'm a big believer in (nominally) depreciation free ownership and agree this car EVENTUALLY has the ingredients and possibly the cachet profile to be a good candidate (especially since most reviews when new were against it). Question is when does the accelerated depreciation slow and bottom out. In the U.S. these are $120k-ish but they're only 2 years old. Personally, that doesn't seem remotely attractive enough relative to other cars I could get in that range. It's way too early - especially because the poor reputation these had initially. The time to buy one is probably right before they announce the next 3-letter M4 version. Not expecting these to depreciate to $50k but gonna be closer to that than $120k before they bottom in my opinion. Definitely a car to keep on the watch list though.
@ maybe not totally depreciation free, but if you can buy at 80k you certainly won’t lost your A%^# on it like most M cars. The only slight downside is it’s an M4 which don’t seem to be as desirable as the M2 and M3.
As a long time bmw owner, fan and mechanic I can guarantee differential in this car will not last more than 60 000 km. They are total crap now, you cannot imagine.
In the late 1990’s i had a 325 and an m5 - never had more mechanical problems in a car than those two cars. I will never buy a bmw again. So it sounds like they haven’t changed
Yep I spoke to someone who modifies bmws for the Nurburgring. He had only bad things to say about the diff. I was surprised because it should be an electronically controlled unit like in many gm cars. Yet he complained it didn’t lock up properly allowing far too much wheel spin. Disappointing as Chevy can tune it nearly perfectly for their Camaro too bad BMW M can’t for their m cars. He also mentioned if the car is lowered the axle shafts wear out shockingly quickly.
Interesting. I think Ferrari and others do something similar in the name of making their cars more driveable and "involving" at sub-licence losing speeds. But I would ask what then is the point of 650 (M4) or 800/900/1,000 Nm of headline torque figures in the first place? (Obviously on a simplistic level the makers can claim the car is xx% more powerful than before, and to generate better performance numbers at higher speeds/in higher gears.)
And in regard to carbon ceramic breaks. Yes they are very good but they have to big problems. One is operating temp. Despite the fact its starting to get to the point where cars are getting heavy enough to warrant them. Most of the population doesn't drive long enough, fast enough, or break hard enough to get them to their operating temp. And two is the price. While the price of pads have come down the rotors are still insanely expensive.
Very odd that you describe this car as not very rapid. Its been tested 0-60 mph in 3.1 secs, 11.2 secs 1/4 mile @ 131 mph by Car & Driver ( WITHOUT 1 foot roll out) , and makes over 600 bhp stock at the crank whenever they are dynod. Also why compare it to the last gen CS when there is a current G82 CS out? Again very odd.
I haven't driven the current gen CS, but I have driven the old one - hence the comparison there. As for the rest of it - like I said, it just doesn't "feel" as quick as it should.
I like and trust James' reviews when he talks about GT cars. When he's talking about performance and track-oriented cars while driving them on narrow backroads it's cringey. Take it to the track, James.
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Nice to see one that isn’t primer grey
I’ll never get that colour, or lack thereof…
@@I999-g2sI love it!
We've been spoilt by James as of late!!
What I was thinking,the man’s work rate is incredible,can’t think of anyone who uploads as frequently as him
He’s saving up to buy a house. He can produce more vids now he has outsourced his editing. Hard working guy!
It's my Christmas treat to you all!
James is living the petrolhead’s dream….
I have had the privilege of driving hard, my friend's 991.2 GT3 Manual with Manthay bits and his M4 CSL, and I personally prefer the CSL. As special as his Porsche is, I think because I used to own the previous M4 Competition I gelled more with the CSL.
Great review James, thank you
Now you need to try the Giulia GTAm to see wich one is better.
I think the GTAm will be better. Pure driving pleasure
Giulia on looks alone.
James i appreciate your high amount and brilliant quality of the videos you've been dropping lately, enjoying them all.
So BMW put laser rear lights on the CSL "so you could tell it was a CSL" but have then introduced it as an option on the standard M4...hmmmmmmmmm
You're right about that bmw has put the rear laser light as standard on the lci m4 if I was a m4 CSL owner I'll be annoyed about that
Mm not worried about that tbh. What about the duck tail boot lid and csl badging the red detail and the other little extras underneath?! Your worried about some rear lights that any m4 owner could probably retrofit anyway? On a car none of us will even ever buy probably? lol
@@LukeHolman-k3k yeah csl boot is also easily retrofittable to a standard M4 too though
I have no problem with that. Everyone absoulty fell in love with them and it made bmws design really stand out. This car still has carbon fiber trunk and hood amongst other things.
@ exactly whatever they put on the m4 csl they could retro fit. It won’t be a factory m4 csl though will it! lol which is the same for any vehicle really. If I wanted I could buy a 2 series change every part on it to be an m2 but, it wouldn’t be an official m2. So worrying about bmw now offering the rear lights? No big deal if you ask me
UK price for the 3.0 CSL was £600k inc VAT
Can buy a helicopter for that instead.
It was £126,000 before options when new
@@cathalfolan8441 I’m talking about the 1 of 50 car, not the regular CSL
@@cathalfolan8441 oooop's
Reportedly trading for 1.5usd now though!
That front end never stops being hilarious. Whenever I see it I hear circus music. 🎪🤡
It is so ugly
Then look away? Unless you secretly like it and are using the sour grapes excuse
@@BagBreakerMMA That comes across as pure 15yo boy butthurt! 🤣 It's a bit hard to look away when it's the first thing that pops on the screen if you hadn't noticed Nick. 🙄 Why would I look away when I'm pointing and laughing at the hilarious clown car? Where in my comment did you conjure up in that mellon of yours that I have sour grapes? Strange perception of language you got going on Nick ol boy (you are British, I can just tell by the smell of sensible brown shoes) 🍇🥰
@@BagBreakerMMA OK, thanks for advice
@@zlatkosokolovic5715 It just takes some time to learn to like it 🤣
Why does the back end look like it's suffered a prolapse 🫣
Unfortunately, i do not want to deal with the constant vomiting while walking up to or away from it.
Can I recommend the carbon fibre vomit bucket option.
It has a chronograph so you can record vomit activity day to day, although that does require a monthly subscription
Buy one in black. That will help hide most of the new BMW's design features.
That's what the two big grills at the front are for - vomiting in
@@Fc-cb3tn pointless...
@@Fc-cb3tn Or dont buy one at all, nobody should. BMW needs to learn that looks matter.
Good video, thanks. Came close to one of these a year back. Having owned the e9 and e46 variants I was intrigued by the new CSL. I decided against it because it lacks authenticity to me - more as though the marketeers had more of a say than the engineers. However, as you say, with prices reflecting this, I can see the appeal.
Drive one , it's the only way to appreciate how much M put into this car !
I drove my friend’s one in the bleak winter of January’24. What a car. Feels special. You really should experience it in the flesh. Definitely worthy of the name above the M3/4 competition
I'm sure it is everything a modern M4 dialled up to 11 should be, but listening to that drive past, and comparing it to any E46 CSL sound doing the same thing makes it very clear to me which one I'd prefer.
This shape really grew on me, looks so menacing! Great video as always Jay
James I think you should get to drive an Alfa Giulia GTAm / GTA quite soon.
I'm not a huge BMW fan anymore (I used to be)... But, this is cool! The colour scheme helps too 😊
Old bmw fan boy here to.
I’ve bought 8 vehicles in my
Life and out of the first 6, 5 were BMWs. And total is 6/8. The last 2 though haven’t been.
They just seem to have lost something and it’s hard to put your finger on what. They don’t seem to be ultimate driving machines anymore and made more to sell in large numbers over driver engagement.
The price probably has something to do with it, I love the m3 touring but 90 odd k is crazy money.
CC brakes just a way for OEMs to game curb weights and stopping distances on large/heavy cars. In real world they are cost-prohibitive for the track unless you're running a sponsored race team, and don't get up to temp on the street.
It's got a face that only it's mother could love. I'd take the Alfa every time.
Every single time
How did you fit in those buckets?
Kind of unusual hearing you doing a voiceover for the intro to the review. But I do kind of like that.
Also, very interesting observation there. I've read many reviews of M4 CSL on the magazine and many of them came to mostly similar conclusion: M4 CSL was a huge miss, absolutely lethal to drive on wet, way too uncomfortable on the road, way too heavy for track use, and ultimately isn't special enough to warrant the CSL plaque and felt like a poor relation to the magnificent M5 CS and M2 CS of old. Your review is the first (and so far the only one) that actually gave the new M4 CSL fair amount of praise.
Probably being the reason that you simply can't do on the road what you can attempt on track. Chris Harris said something similar about the new Aston Martin Vantage, where he didn't enjoy it on track and much preferred it on a fast road.
Interesting Jay-observation being that he thought the old M4 GTS was a good car; I remember the car media being quite critical of that too.
I think the slept on unicorn, and understandably so because they made 67 of them, is the E90 M3 CRT saloon, essentially a 4 door version of the E92 M3 GTS.
I’ll never get over how much it looks like a modern Mustang in profile.
Same with the latest 1 series and the Ford Focus...
It weighs like one too
Agree its fugly 100%
I do like the mad graphics. Just not into white unless its a pearl white with a special effect flip.
Great review but I expected the CSL engine to sound a bit more inspiring.
I dunno ... It looks cool and all, but honestly an Alpina looks like a more appealing proposition for road use.
2:21 ugh, that grill though....
What a mistake.
“The most interesting BMW in a long time?”
I prefer to remember BMW when they made great cars like my old 2003 e39 M5 & 2010 e92 M3
And those were, I hate to tell you, a long time ago
@ Very true Jay. I wish they still made the “ultimate driving machine” but those days like my old cars are long gone 🥲
Thank you for consistently great content in 2024 and I wish you a prosperous and successful 2025.
I think for 130k I'd take a 911 GTS, or for 15k less, an M3 CS - The all wheel drive of that car appeals much more. And I'd be surprised if the BMW felt better to drive than a 911 GTS
The Porsche is the better car in every way but it’s such a predictable boring choice, the CSL for all its flaws is at least a little different. Looks mean in black too.
130k for a GTS. Good luck finding one. Can't find a single 992 for that money, more like 150k or up to 200 for the new one.
I’d take an early G8X with a manual & RWD before the dashboard became one big screen. The ideal G8X platform and I will die on this hill
Much of the price comes from its exclusivity. Everyone who can afford one can go and buy a 911 GTS the CSL is a limited production run I think so that alone will add to its msrp
Very thorough review.
The last car I saw burnt to a shell was an M4. Parking spot off the dual carriageway, but only a quarter mile from the Fire Station. There was literally nothing left salvagable. Maybe just a one off, but a lot off car to go up in smoke.
Fantastic car, and a very informative review James.
The steering wheel is over padded, what happened to the thin rimmed wheels that gave you feel. I guess it doesn't matter when you don't have any😅
Some men are used to holding onto a bit of extra girth. 😁 I didn't notice till you mentioned it and yea, that wheel looks crazy fat n spongy. Now I can't stop looking at the thing. 🙄
All the high end bmws have had thick wheels that I've driven
Do you really need ceramic brakes for the road though?
Not for the road, they're for the carpark at coffee n cars.
If youre not creeping around and use tracks here and there, yes.
Do you need any of this for the road lmao tf you NEED a prius
@@KingBeach-c6l No you probably don't but where does NEEDING a Prius come into it?
The human mind works in mysterious ways.
I still would take the E46 M3 CSL that very same one Clarkson drove in the legendary IOM with the manual conversation kit.
I have a friend who said he regrets buying his, wishes he went for the M5 CS
The three iconic letters for Toyota are, ermm, oh look, a squirrel!
400K Subs!
James. A question. You drove a old Clk Amg 55 not long ago. I have driven a M8 competition. They are looking a great proposition pricewise at the moment! Based on the new price of this car and the fact that you can pick up a good condition Clk Amg 55 from 7k upwards where does this leave this M4? Obviously the 55 is not in the same league as this car.The Clk Amg 55 I give 10 out of the 10 based on its cost. How much do you give this M4 CSLout of 10? Look forward to hearing from you.
I actually love the way this car looks. I have a 24 G82 Comp and I love the car. Some after market mods and tunes and you take of this big girls shackles.
If only it was better looking
Yes, we need more BMWs like that for the millionaires ! The rest of us can sod off and drive FWD "Chinese" BMWs, because we can only afford those.
My dad actually suggested I could buy the new bmw 135 which is a 2 liter FWD car. He is clueless😅
Everything from 3 Series and up is still RWD based...
@@Rumblingbellymaybe he meant the e82 coupe 😅
BMW have definitely lost their way. I used to love the brand and have had lots of BMW’s in the past. I am truly disappointed with how the brand is now.
@@johnstape4488 sadly no, the brand new one. Of course I will never ever buy a shitty 2L FWD🤦♂️ Some people like my dad pay no attention to specs, only price.
looks like a mustang from side on. i think the m4 cs previous gen is the better value/safer investment. should really have put some sort of carbon intake or engine cover. the carbon intake was the show piece of the last csl. a lot of people hate the front but for me its the rear arches that are terrible. they make even the 20 inch wheels look small.
This is definitely interesting and from some angles looks good. But I just can't get past the grill. If I had completely lost my mind and bought a modern BMW I would drop down 2 classes and get an M2. Even though I despise its existence because it made the M3 both a sedan and overpriced.
You have sold me on this James, the kidney grill mares the front view, for my tastes, but otherwise is beautiful in all the right ways.
What a beauty, great knowledge 👍👍
As for BMWs i always buy those alpinas versions
The facelift M4 now has those rear lights. Not sure if it’s an option though.
In a £3k option pack afaik
I think they come as standard now on the facelift
Should be called a butt lift then
Would like to see Evo and GT versions of an m3 again 😍
No one is more 'dyed-in-wool' BMW than me having driven them since my first car, aged 19 in 1982, a 1974 2002tii.
Since then, there are 42 years of unbroken BMW ownership which runs to nearly 70 of them, including E30 M3 and E46 CSL.
But...Jesus Christ! That thing is bloody ugly!
100% agree. It truly is an ugly turd 🤮
Having a flashe of kolsch watching this awesome review
Tbh. I've a G82 M4, and they're exceptional cars. The CSL is obviously not really supposed to be a road car. It's designed for the track like a GT3. Plus, you can not extract their potential on the public road. They're simply too fast. But overall, as a package, they're a great car. Hence, the myriad of top reviews from other sources.
I got a g87 manual so the cheapest car on the same platform. And its a blast, I really would like to drive a m4CSL, but the perfect spec for me would it be with a manual as in the 3.0 CSL^^
The letter M used to mean something special for BMW too, until the 2010s when they decided every single series lineup needed an M...
Got the 1M then though
I’m sure it was just a slip of the tongue… didn’t the e92 m3 & gts have 4.0l V8? 3:14
The gts had a factory displacement increase to 4.4 over the standard 4.0 of the regular s65 engines
Hi James, rather than use the audio from the exhaust to demonstrate the cars sound, can you use the audio from inside the cabin? Most new cars don’t sound like much from the outside these days
The sound inside is 95%fake through the speakers.
Not a fan of this gen “M 4COUPE “
M5cs for me ❤❤❤❤❤
compared with the 3.0 CSL homage concept car. 2:08 is gobsmacking particular at 700k+
I didn’t realise it was rwd until watching this. It must be fun in the wet with 550bhp
Have you tried the M2 yet? I tried to find a video but couldn’t find one
I have given up changing with my M2 - it reminds me of an old style US muscle car while the dash is the same as that from when I was 18 - it’s daft and frisky and breaks traction easily - so you have fun at easy speeds. This car is clearly superb - but does it really get fun on the road? My M2 is a daft little thing - are many cars not just too competent to enjoy?
I had the old CSL and I’m gutted I sold it. Although at the time I couldn’t live with the gearbox. When driven hard it would constantly throw error codes for the gearbox. But handling wise it felt a million miles from the regular M3. The geometry and th engine noise were spectacular. Make sure you find one to try!
(And make sure to unlock it he extra ‘track’ gearbox setting that’s not shown on the dash 😊)
Is that by disabling the TC like in the E92?
@ from memory yes. Can’t quite recall exactly what order things needed to be done. But the gearbox has that ‘graded lines’ display and there’s another line to be found 👍
Just to add - I’ve not had a car since that felt as ‘up on its toes’ as the CSL. It felt genuinely light. I bought a regular M3 a few years later to make my own homemade CSL and it became clear very quickly that I wouldn’t be able to. The quicker steering rack made a huge difference. Be keen to see what to reckon when you get one to try. Cheers
@@browners_28what CSL? The E46? You could have done a manual swap!!
@TML34 please don’t remind me!!!
They didn’t exist when I sold it…..
That iDrive version is roughly 98,000% better to look at than the current iDrive 8 plastered-on afterthought of a Jumbotron screen
Munch Legends.
James needs to drive your e46 csl.
I don’t know why bmw moved away from those lovely hinges they used to use for the boot lid (ala e39). Better for cargo space and aesthetically pleasing to look at.
I guess at least you can't see how f-ugly it is when you're driving it. But, honestly, how can anyone drop soooooo much dough on something so woefully wrong in the looks department. It's not simply the front, either...
BMW was once the ultimate driving machine, now M is for marketing and certainly not Motorsport.
What is the best radar detector for the UK?
Current BMW owner and fan but this doesn't do it for me, especially the red accent Bradford spec
The daytime running lights should be yellow - either been in an accident or someone has changed them
Ive seen people with modded yellow lights, looks so sick!
@ agree! Look great with darker coloured cars
As far as I know, they are yellow when 1) the car is off, and 2) main beams are on. Otherwise they have to be white when they are the only light source at the front. When parked it doesn't matter and when main beams are on, they are the main light source and therefore yellow DRLs are only a design feature and not functional light.
Has to do with laws and stuff.
@@georgedesouza8937uh, that’s what he said
In the US they stay yellow the whole time.
TY 🙏🙏
Good video 👍👍👍
80k and 90k now. 50k in a few years perhaps?
I quite like it and being a CSL I bet you could drive that indefinitely and not lose any money on it.
Depreciation free motoring
Ahh I wouldn't say "depreciation free" - it's been been depreciation enhanced and accelerated up to now. I'm a big believer in (nominally) depreciation free ownership and agree this car EVENTUALLY has the ingredients and possibly the cachet profile to be a good candidate (especially since most reviews when new were against it).
Question is when does the accelerated depreciation slow and bottom out. In the U.S. these are $120k-ish but they're only 2 years old. Personally, that doesn't seem remotely attractive enough relative to other cars I could get in that range. It's way too early - especially because the poor reputation these had initially. The time to buy one is probably right before they announce the next 3-letter M4 version. Not expecting these to depreciate to $50k but gonna be closer to that than $120k before they bottom in my opinion.
Definitely a car to keep on the watch list though.
@ maybe not totally depreciation free, but if you can buy at 80k you certainly won’t lost your A%^# on it like most M cars.
The only slight downside is it’s an M4 which don’t seem to be as desirable as the M2 and M3.
The M4 looks all sorts of wrong from most angles.
Just over complicated zzz for me. Happy new year.
Always thought these new M4s look like an Audi RS5 imho
BMW could have done alot better especially as the last model was stunning
Big let down
That wouldn't look too bad after debadging.
As a long time bmw owner, fan and mechanic I can guarantee differential in this car will not last more than 60 000 km. They are total crap now, you cannot imagine.
In the late 1990’s i had a 325 and an m5 - never had more mechanical problems in a car than those two cars. I will never buy a bmw again. So it sounds like they haven’t changed
Have you ever owned an M car@Dainci?
Lol he just said he repairs and owned them...mass production cars similar quality throughout the range..@@duffydon1741
Mind giving any specifics of what you base that number on and why that is?
Yep I spoke to someone who modifies bmws for the Nurburgring. He had only bad things to say about the diff. I was surprised because it should be an electronically controlled unit like in many gm cars. Yet he complained it didn’t lock up properly allowing far too much wheel spin. Disappointing as Chevy can tune it nearly perfectly for their Camaro too bad BMW M can’t for their m cars. He also mentioned if the car is lowered the axle shafts wear out shockingly quickly.
Mate, we're trying to get over the Cayman GTS!
On the upside it's so fugly nobody will steal it.
I'm sorry but the front end is still such a horror show that the car is just ugly because of it
New verb: to vibe. 😁
Why didn’t BMW use the 3.0 CSL
grills for the new G-series? They’re oversized, but not clownish.
I reckon the 'lack of firepower' feeling could be due to torque mappings per gear. My car does this and it does feel odd.
Interesting. I think Ferrari and others do something similar in the name of making their cars more driveable and "involving" at sub-licence losing speeds. But I would ask what then is the point of 650 (M4) or 800/900/1,000 Nm of headline torque figures in the first place? (Obviously on a simplistic level the makers can claim the car is xx% more powerful than before, and to generate better performance numbers at higher speeds/in higher gears.)
@ yes I have an Alfa but sure Ferrari do the same
And in regard to carbon ceramic breaks. Yes they are very good but they have to big problems. One is operating temp. Despite the fact its starting to get to the point where cars are getting heavy enough to warrant them. Most of the population doesn't drive long enough, fast enough, or break hard enough to get them to their operating temp. And two is the price. While the price of pads have come down the rotors are still insanely expensive.
Those exhaust pops are the same as you get from a Mini or a Morgan… quite poor really. Artificial so easy to adjust you’d expect.
So my Mini has poor pops now? 😓
6:51 interesting parking job there
I imagine it’s an absolute joy to drive, but I’ll stick with my w205 C63s for the sounds.
Arround 550hp from factory? O would bet good money that means 550 to the weels as bmw is usualy very conservative in power numbers...
Is the owner the same james dean who spends his days on full opposite lock, locking throgh the side window?
No, not that one
No! You're going to increase the price of my dream car!
Very odd that you describe this car as not very rapid. Its been tested 0-60 mph in 3.1 secs, 11.2 secs 1/4 mile @ 131 mph by Car & Driver ( WITHOUT 1 foot roll out) , and makes over 600 bhp stock at the crank whenever they are dynod.
Also why compare it to the last gen CS when there is a current G82 CS out? Again very odd.
I haven't driven the current gen CS, but I have driven the old one - hence the comparison there. As for the rest of it - like I said, it just doesn't "feel" as quick as it should.
@JayEmmOnCars i remember getting into (passenger) a tuned 700hp m5 and came away disappointed because I knew it was fast, but it didn't *feel* fast
I like and trust James' reviews when he talks about GT cars. When he's talking about performance and track-oriented cars while driving them on narrow backroads it's cringey. Take it to the track, James.
their will only ever be one CSL aka E9 3.0/3.2 Csl batmobile road, race cars!!!!!
I cancelled my M4 CSL & I’m glad I did.
Sad that when the letters are so special it's being wasted on a car that is so far from what those letters stood for.
Still is £130,000 GBP used here in AU.
Wound never consider it based on looks. Ever. Looks matter BMW, they matter a lot. God it is ugly AF.
Still looks appalling. Wouldn’t be my choice.
I saw the comment showing the price and stopped watching. Good luck BMW
People should sell a licence plate thats longer just for this car
Yep, about 4 feet wide and 2 feet high.