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If you had to choose one, would it be the BMW M4 GTS or E46 BMW M3 CSL? CarAdvice.au recently had the rare chance of driving both the BMW M4 GTS and E46 M3 CSL back to back. It happened just before the Bathurst 12-Hour. Made of the extremes during their eras, these cars are as pure as they can be.
The BMW M4 GTS is the faster and more powerful option. Its 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged I6 engine makes 493 hp. To help it make that much power, the M4 GTS employs a technique called water-injection, which is the process of spraying an ultra fine mist of water into the intake plenum. This cools the combustion chamber down, allowing for BMW to amp up the turbo boost. That engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is rapid-fire fast. It also has incredible aerodynamics, which are manually-adjustable and very effective. The suspension is also manually-adjustable, making it effective for both track and road use, although even its softest setting is bone-shakingly firm. It goes from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The sound is amazing, thanks to the titanium exhausts.
The BMW M3 CSL is one of the best driver’s car that came from the BMW line-up. It is powered by a 3.2 liter naturally-aspirated I6 engine developed 355 hp, paired with a six-speed sequential manual gearbox, and helped the M3 CSL get from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Both numbers are significantly worse than the new M4 GTS’. The driving dynamics is really good.
When faced with the task to choose one, would you consider how much the E46 M3 CSL is worth nowadays, or does the new M4 GTS have what it takes to beat that?
