2023 BMW M4 CSL Dyno Pull Shows More Power Than Expected

The twin-turbo I6 is cranking out nearly 600 hp according to this Dynojet run.

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Christopher Smith

By: Christopher Smith

Oct 11, 2022 at 3:12pm ET

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There are plenty of reasons to love the new BMW M4 CSL, but this dyno video might give you a few more. Specifically, there could be 53 additional reasons according to a recent rolling road test from BMW_M_Collector M-Power on YouTube.

BMW officially rates the M4 CSL's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine at 543 horsepower (405 kilowatts). However, the car in this video performs well above that benchmark, showing a stout 595 hp (443 kW). That's 53 more ponies than advertised, and torque checks in at 531 pound-feet (720 Netwon-meters) – also well above BMW's figures. These numbers are adjusted for power at the crankshaft, but they are uncorrected for atmospheric conditions.

Gallery: 2023 BMW M4 CSL

This is the same car we saw recently in an AutoTopNL Autobahn video, owned by bmw_m_collector on Instagram. He shared the video with Motor1.com and confirmed that his CSL is factory stock, so barring any errors in the dyno setup, BMW's hardcore coupe is a bit harder than expected. That doesn't surprise the owner; the video description mentions the car's brisk 100-200 km/h acceleration performance as lining up with the data. At least BMW's stated torque range is spot on. A dyno graph at the end of the video clearly shows a fat torque plateau from 2,750 to 5,950 rpm.

As far as we know, this is the first dyno test of the new CSL. BMW debuted the limited-edition M4 in May, featuring suspension upgrades and numerous weight reduction measures to shave 240 pounds from the standard model. Extensive use of carbon fiber certainly helps, as does the lack of a back seat. Six-piston brakes help manage the power, but you won't find an xDrive all-paw system here. Power – excessive power in this case – goes to the rear wheels alone.

What do you think?

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Only 1,000 M4 CSLs will be built, so we don't know if any more will end up on a dyno. We'd certainly like to see more pulls to get a better perspective of BMW's upgraded I6 mill for these special cars. In the meantime, it appears the folks from Munich are being a bit coy with the CSL's full potential.

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