Production will be very limited, just like the M3 CSL.
Since the 3 Series Coupe was discontinued ten years ago, BMW has not had a Coupe Sport Leichtbau in their lineup. In 2015, the 2004 CSL Coupe was replaced by the M4 GTS. This model followed a similar strategy of losing weight and building muscle. The Bavarians announced in 2018 that they would retire the GTS suffix to make way for the return and Coupe Sport Lightweight.
CSL finally makes its long-awaited comeback in 2021. According to a BMW insider, the M4 CSL could be out by next year. The author, a veteran of the Bimmer forums, claims that assembly of the hardcore coupe would begin in July 2022. It will likely be produced in a very short run. However, it is unlikely that more than 1000 units will be sold.
The M4 CSL is expected to live up to its name, so it makes sense to use the rear-wheel drive version with the manual gearbox. The current-generation M4 is lightest with a full tank (but with no driver) and weighs in at 1,674 kg (3,690 lb). This makes it 75 lbs (34 kilo) heavier that the M4 Competition with DCT.
This number is a good example of how light the M3E30 was when it was first released in the second half of 1980s. It was approximately 500 kg (1,102 lbs). Modern-day M3 E30 is lighter than the original, but it has approximately two and a quarter times more power and is significantly safer, more practical and more technologically advanced.
Although it is not clear how much weight the M4 CSL will lose, we remind you that the M3 CSL lost 110 kilograms (243 lbs) when compared to the regular M3 during the E46 generation. The latest performance coupe would need to be restricted in carbon fiber use. However, some power can be expected given that the M3 CSL had more power.
If the report is true and production will begin in mid-2022 it means that the reveal will take place several months prior to the unveiling. We could therefore see the M4 CSL at the beginning of next year.