It isn’t even a little bit surprising to see BMW M4 CSL customers attempting to flip their cars for profit. That’s what happens with every ultra-exclusive, high-dollar sports car, regardless of brand. It happens with every limited-run sports car or supercar, especially if there’s a Porsche badge on it. Since BMW only made 1,000 M4 CSLs, it was bound to happen with it, too and here’s just one example, likely of many. This 2022 BMW M4 CSL is currently headed to RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba auction on May 20.
The BMW M4 CSL is the most powerful M3/M4 ever made, thanks to its 543 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. It starts out life as an M4 Competition but then gets quite the overhaul. BMW M shed a decent amount of weight by removing the back seats, swapping its metal hood for a carbon fiber one, throwing the center console storage away, and junking much of its sound deadening material. The result is a car that weighs just under 3,600, which sounds heavy but is actually quite light for M4-standards.
According to BMW, the M4 CSL gets from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds but it’s faster than that in reality. It also probably makes quite a bit more than BMW’s claimed 543 horsepower, as it feels much more potent than that.
The M4 CSL only came in three colors: Sapphire Black Metallic, Alpine White, and Frozen Brooklyn Grey. The car headed for auction is the latter, which is probably the best color option anyway. This car also has €7,000 worth of paint-protection film, which should keep that matte paint healthy for many years to come. Inside, there was only one color available—black with red stitching and carbon fiber everything—and the only other option to choose from was the seat choice. When spec’ing your M4 CSL, you had the choice of a standard carbon fiber bucket set (which are the optional upgraded seats on the normal M4) or a fixed carbon bucket that requires tools to adjust. This car has the latter.
Now here comes the main issue—price. When new, an M4 CSL spec’d like this one would run around $145,000 (€131,554). However, the estimated sale price for this, at the top end, is €230,000 ($253,507). That’s a massive price difference and I can see why the owner would want to sell. I’m pretty harsh on people who buy cars to flip them but I was also slightly disappointed in the M4 CSL and, if I bought one, I might not be feeling that its driving experience is worth its price tag. So if I could make a six-figure profit on it, I probably would too.
[Source: RM Sothebys]