Audi RS 5 vs BMW M4

BMW is increasingly defined by electrification, technology, and luxury, but the BMW M4 shows Bavaria’s automaker still cares about performance.

As the M version of the BMW 4 Series coupe and convertible, the M4 would have previously been designated a BMW M3. But the automaker split the two-door versions into a separate line for the 2014 model year, keeping the M3 name for the sedan. That makes the M4 a descendent of legendary models like the E30 M3 coupe. And like the E30, the modern M4 has a motorsport pedigree, as it’s currently BMW’s weapon of choice in the GT3 and GT4 sports-car classes.

The current-generation M4 was introduced for the 2021 model year. The big change for the 2023 model year is the addition of the BMW M4 CSL, a hardcore limited edition that’s both more powerful and lighter than the standard M4. This is only the third BMW has broken out the CSL badge for, after the 1972 E9 3.0 CSL and 2003 E46 M3 CSL (which wasn’t sold in the United States), and like those cars, the M4 CSL will be rare. Global production is capped at 1,000 units.

We spent some time in an M4 CSL on twisty roads around Palm Springs, California, to see if this once-in-a-generation model is a real improvement over the standard M4, and whether any M4 can live up to BMW M’s legendary reputation.