Of the 1,000 M4 CSLs that BMW intends to make, one of them has already been modified. Manhart is the first tuner to tune the Competition Sport Lightweight, and the end result is nothing short of spectacular. As if the regular two-seat coupe wasn’t a sight to behold already, the aftermarket version in Black Sapphire with red accents looks striking and has an aggressive soundtrack to match its bold design.
The MH4 GTR II made its debut at the beginning of the month and has now been spotted in motion for the first time It has a comprehensive custom body kit with 18 parts made from carbon fiber. Manhart also modified the sports coupe to lower the M4 CSL even more to enable a meaner stance. The German tuner also swapped out the OEM alloys for Yido Performance forged wheels with two red spokes to echo the body’s contrasting accents.
Without going into too many details, Manhart says it has taken the twin-turbo inline-six engine to 702 hp and 880 Nm (649 lb-ft). The 3.0-liter mill codenamed “S58” breathes through a stainless-steel custom exhaust with quad tips measuring 110 millimeters in diameter. These can be had with either ceramic coating or a carbon fiber finish.
Manhart’s wild build makes us think of BMW’s own M2 G87 with M Performance Parts as that one too has an overly aggressive design. The era of subdued M cars is long gone as recent offerings from the house of M have shown us shouty designs are here to stay.
Given the M4 CSL’s limited availability, we wouldn’t count on too many owners willing to modify their cars since any aftermarket changes will ultimately cause depreciation. A less exclusive follow-up is expected to arrive later in 2023 or 2024 as BMW M’s boos recently said there’s room in the lineup for an M4 CS. Logic tells us that will split the difference between the rear-wheel-drive Competition and the CSL.
