HAPPY NEW BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
Less weight, more power: the CSL treatment should send the M4 to divinity and beyond
Frank van Meel has rejoined BMW’s M division in time to finish what he started. After a brief stint at Rolls-Royce, the engineer has reshued his way back to M as it gears up to add a flurry of new variants of the M3 saloon and M4 coupe – cars he signed off in his previous stint.
The year ahead will bring starkly contrasting newcomers: the M3 estate – relatively practical, relatively heavy – and the CSL version of the M4, which promises to be neither of the above.
The second-generation CSL is designed to be the brawniest and most aggressive iteration of the breed, and will be limited to 1000 units. It’s likely to be much more expensive – perhaps £120,000.
It has been stripped of its rear seats and much of its sound deadening, fitted with lighter wheels and carbonfibre bucket seats, wider track with wider tyres to match, and bodywork revised to cut drag and enhance downforce. The suspension has been uprated and the power increased. It’s the same 3.0-litre straight-six engine, but with the turbo boost turned up to increase power from 503bhp to around 543bhp, with an optional 10-step DSC system and carbon-ceramic brakes.
It will be rear-wheel drive, but there won’t be a manual gearbox. The only suitable candidate couldn’t cope with more than 406lb ft of torque – so the CSL’s likely 516lb ft rules that out.
The combination of extra power and about 100kg less weight should give a 0-62mph time that’s half a second quicker than the Competition, at 3.3sec. Top speed will still be limited to 180mph.
The CSL doesn’t have aluminium doors and bonnet, nor thinner glass and other expensive ways to reduce weight. Some of those measures might be deployed on the M4 CS expected in 2023, which is likely to have a power output and a price somewhere between the Competition and CSL.
NEED TO KNOW I What is it? Limited-edition lightweight M4 I Tech? Stripped cabin, wider track, aero upgrade, more power I Aimed at? Drivers who live for the track When can I have one? Summer ’22
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Just drive the Model Y, and all the Elon Musk Twitter furore, fanboy adulation and polarised investor debate melt away. You’re left with a mid-size crossover already besieged by pure electric rivals, and Tesla’s first batch of right-handdrive cars won’t arrive until March.
But to drive is to believe. We’re in the £54,990 Long Range entry-level model. Press the binary throttle and the dual-motor Tesla just monsters the road ahead, overtaking like a Maverick fly-by, owning small gaps into fast-flowing tra c. The 0-60mph sprint takes 4.8sec; if that’s too stately you can upgrade to the £64,990 Performance model with its even sillier 3.5sec capability.
The fun isn’t restricted to straight lines. The meaty steering is fast off the dead-ahead, making the car feel eagerly responsive. Tip the Y into a bend and the body stays flat, the Michelins clamping the car down as your confidence soars high.
The touchscreen remains a visual delight, though voice control is a bit hapless and I’d like Apple CarPlay to simply access key apps. Tesla’s Level 2 driving assistance is as good as anyone’s (the sensors build a remarkable 3D picture of your surroundings, even down to tra c cones), but don’t waste a £6800 downpayment on ‘Full Self Driving Capability’ that remains a pipe dream.
Other flaws include a brittle ride on 20in Induction rims – you’ll feel a lot of jostling on bumpy roads – and a driving position which manages to be too high without giving oversight of the stubby nose’s extremities. There’s a little more motorway wind and tyre noise than in some rivals too.
But with a strong range (up to 315 miles o cially), access to Tesla’s charging network and a spacious, practical cabin, the Model Y feels like the electric crossover benchmark. And a whole lotta fun too.
NEED TO KNOW I What is it? Highroofed version of the Model 3 I Tech? Two e-motors yield 469bhp/424lb ft
I Aimed at? EV fans with families and a love of driving I When can I have one? Order now, deliveries March