BMW M4 CS Review: Nearly 40 Years After It Almost Didn’t Come To America, This Coupe Is A Benchmark
As difficult as it may be to believe, there was a time when BMW’s management team felt offering M cars in the United States was not worthwhile. Back in 1974, then-president Richard Nixon signed what was known as the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act into law. The legislation capped speed limits in the USA at 55 mph, which gave BMW cause to hold its highest performing models back from the States.
This presented an opportunity for tuners such as Hardy & Beck (H&B) of Berkeley, California, to fill that void—which they did, to great success—despite the 55 mph speed limit. Taking note of the money they were missing out on, BMW decided to offer its M cars in the USA, beginning with the 1987 M6 and the 1988 M5. Coming up on their 40th anniversary in the U.S. market, BMW’s M cars are now the benchmark by which all similar performance models are measured. A vivid example of this is the G82 BMW M4 CS, which was offered in 2025.
In order to provide you with an honest and unbiased review, the vehicle reviewed in this article was driven on a daily basis throughout the course of daily life for a period of one week. For detailed insight into testing procedures and data collection, please review our methodology policy.
2025 BMW M4 CS First Impressions
Say what you will about the enormity of the iconic twin kidney grilles applied to BMW models these days, the fitment looks right at home on the front of this purposefully angular coupe. Actually, though, grilles isn’t exactly the right word here. Wide open to the incoming slipstream, they are more precisely referred to as intakes.
Split into quadrants by the front bumper, the openings are framed by the angriest-looking set of headlights I’ve seen in quite some time. Angularly sculpted, the front end contains four additional vents, which combine to form an extremely menacing countenance that other drivers will see flooding their rearview mirrors. And that’s just the front view.
Rounding things out are a set of staggered-size lightweight road wheels and a sculpted carbon-fiber hood with black inserts. The carbon fiber roof has a pair of aero-aiding creases, which complement the array of slimmed-down splitters and spoilers. Simply put, the G82 BMW M4 CS is about as far as you can get from a sleeper. This BMW coupe telegraphs its potential as loudly and proudly as the cheering section of an undefeated high school football team.
Exterior Dimensions
|
Length |
189 Inches |
|---|---|
|
Width |
75.5 Inches |
|
Height |
55.1 Inches |
|
Wheelbase |
112.5 Inches |
|
Front Track |
63.9 Inches |
|
Rear Track |
63.2 Inches |
|
Curb Weight |
3,902 Pounds |
Driving Impressions And Performance
An evolution of the track-focused 2024 BMW M4 CSL, the G82 M4 CS uses the same 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged DOHC S5B30 inline six found in its predecessor. Capable of generating 543 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 479 lb-ft of torque at 2,750 rpm, this engine will propel the svelte coupe to a top speed of 188 miles per hour. An eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive complete the powertrain.
According to independent testing, the M4 CS is good for a zero to 60 time of 2.7 seconds. This assertion was confirmed by the chronometer on my Tudor Black Shield, as 60 mph registered on the BMW’s digital display just before the Tudor’s sweep second hand eclipsed the three-second mark. To call this coupe “fast” is to engage in the most egregious form of understatement. On a closed course, I saw the M4 CS hit 100 in just over six seconds. It ran the quarter in just over 10.
As fantastic as all of that is, the BMW’s handling and braking potential are equally prodigious. The all-wheel drive system is calibrated to give the M4 CS the feel of a rear-drive car until the back end threatens to run out of grip. The front end then comes into play, just enough to keep the party rolling.
However, in typical BMW fashion, you can also defeat that function, effectively making the M4 CS rear-wheel drive. This allows the car to perform lurid tail slides with huge clouds of blue smoke billowing from the rear wheel wells. Long story short, the M4 CS delivers supercar performance, with four seats and a usable trunk.
Performance Specifications
|
Engine |
3.0-liter M TwinPower Turbo inline-six |
|---|---|
|
Transmission |
Eight-speed M Steptronic with Drivelogic |
|
Horsepower |
543 HP @ 6,250-7,200 RPM |
|
Torque |
479 LB-FT @ 2,750 to 5,950RPM |
|
Fuel Economy (CMB) |
18 MPG |
|
0-60 MPH |
2.7 Seconds |
|
Top Speed |
188 MPH |
BMW M4 CS Fuel Economy
According to the EPA, the 2025 BMW M4 CS can travel an estimated 16 miles on each gallon of fuel it consumes in the city; 22 on the highway; and 18 combined.Taking full advantage of its performance potential where appropriate, and driving with civility when the circumstances warranted, I saw an average of 18 mpg. Granted, those numbers are on the low end of typical these days. However, BMW’s performance potential is on the high end of typical these days. Given the smiles the CS brought to my face, I consider it to be a more than equitable tradeoff.
|
City |
Highway |
Combined |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
EPA Rated Economy |
16 MPG |
22 MPG |
18 MPG |
|
Fuel Economy As Tested |
18 MPG |
Interior Design And Comfort
Even looking in from the outside, there is no mistaking the designer’s intention for this car. A pair of thinly padded carbon fiber seat shells are provided for the driver and front passenger. Adorned with CS logos, the seat backs have openings through which the upper sections of four-point racing harnesses can be threaded.
Sized perfectly for performance driving and upholstered in Alcántara, the steering wheel features a centering stripe at the 12:00 position. A pair of memory buttons are positioned on the wheel, which can be set to trigger pre-selected performance configurations (more on this a bit later). The center console, also finished in carbon fiber, provides a CS monogrammed wrist rest. A full center armrest is eschewed in the interest of weight savings.
The controls of this BMW are placed with the intention of helping you go faster, and the seats offer outstanding support when the M4 CS is doing so. Getting in and out of them might give some people a bit of trouble, however. These are essentially racing seats with pronounced, fixed side bolsters. Aside from fore-and-aft, height, and seatback rake, there are no adjustments. I suggest trying them for fit before fully committing to them. You might want to keep looking until you find one without that option.
Interior Dimensions
|
Front |
Rear |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Headroom |
40.3 Inches |
35.8 Inches |
|
Shoulder Room |
55.1 Inches |
51 Inches |
|
Legroom |
41.7 Inches |
34.7 Inches |
Technology And Ease Of Use
We’re talking 21st century BMW here, so you know there is a surfeit of tech features specifically fitted to enhance the performance of the BMW. Throttle, steering, transmission, suspension, and braking response can be preset. This gives you the ability to tailor the way the car drives to your exact preference. What’s more, two setups can be stored in memory to be called up at will, using the “M” buttons on the steering wheel I mentioned above.
A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a large 14.9-inch touchscreen crown the dash. The latter is home to the infotainment interface, which employs BMW’s new iDrive 8.5 operating system. A variety of input options are offered, including voice commands, buttons on the steering wheel, a rotary controller, and buttons on the center console.
Standard comfort and convenience features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Harman Kardon audio system.Options include gesture controls, a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot, and a wireless charging pad. Driver assistance tech includes blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, as well as lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist.
As for ease of use, the sheer volume of functions was mildly intimidating at first glance. However, the layout is quite intuitive, and the logic of it all makes sense after a bit of study. I figured it out quickly, and it became second nature over the course of my week with the car.
Cargo And Storage Space
Based as it is on the standard 4-Series BMW coupe, the M4 CS offers 12 cubic feet of cargo capacity in the trunk. The rear seat folds via release levers in the trunk in a 40/20/40 configuration. The trunk of the M4 CS also offers grocery bag hooks, LED lighting, and side storage compartments with retaining nets for smaller items.
In Summary
Given that BMW only produced the G82 M4 CS for the 2025 model year, if you liked what you read here, you’ll be going used, for about the same $125,000 the car cost when new. And right about here is where the “What? For that much money, I’d get…” exhortations are likely to begin. Here’s the thing though: BMW has long excelled at giving us cars we could live with on a daily basis that were among the most engaging offerings in their classes.
With the 2025 BMW M4 CS, we’re talking supercar performance with daily driver practicality and a look—whether you love it or hate it—that leaves no doubt as to its capabilities. Plus, it’s a rare beast, so you won’t see yourself coming and going. Besides, most people who have the means and the inclination to get one of these will not depend upon it to be their daily driver.
This means practicality is not really a foremost consideration in this conversation. In other words, “for that much money,” the people who’d buy one probably already have whatever else they want. And so, to paraphrase one Ferris Bueller, “If you have the desire and the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”
With that said, there are a few reasonable alternatives to consider, as illustrated in the video below:
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