Tag: BMW M4

BMW M Rumored To Be Readying Special M4 For 50th Ann. With Manual Gearbox

Next year is gearing up to be a special one for BMW’s M division. BMW M GmbH will mark its 50th anniversary in May, 2022, and new rumors suggest that there’s a special, limited production M4 on the horizon.

The lead comes from an alleged BMW insider on g80.bimmerpost. The user, who apparently has a good track record for new car info, suggests that the unnamed M4 special will be “configured like the CSL, but with a manual transmission.”

The forum member goes on to say that several options will be deleted, including comfort access, parking sensors, and electric seats. The absence of such would result in an M4 that’s even lighter than the already lightweight CSL, provided this special model is based on the upcoming CSL in the first place.

Although the production M4 CSL hasn’t yet been revealed to the public, our spies have spotted prototypes undergoing testing. These cars feature revised air intakes and grilles, as well as lightweight wheels, a more prominent lip spoiler, and a new diffuser.

Read: BMW Teases Next-Generation M4 GT4 Customer Race Car

A BMW M4 CSL prototype caught testing at the Nurburgring

As yet, powertrain details for the CSL have not been confirmed, although there have been reports that BMW may not offer a manual transmission. If that were the case, a limited, manual-equipped take on the CSL could prove to be the holy grail of BMW’s M4 line-up. The source also remarks that the new variant will be only produced for a few months, starting in November 2022, implying that production numbers will be kept low.

We already know that BMW M GmbH has big plans on the horizon for the upcoming year. Their 750hp plug-in hybrid SUV, the XM, is set to be in production before the end of 2022, and from January, customers will be able to order their cars with a roundel that harks back to the Motorsport division’s classic logo. If that weren’t enough, the new BMW M3 Touring would finally fulfill our M wagon dreams, and a series of 50 new M paint finishes will be made available. A special, ultra-limited edition of the M4 could just be the icing on the cake.

BMW Chose Control Over Out-And-Out Shift Speed For the New M3/M4 Transmission

In its latest video, BMW has taken six minutes to explain the reasoning behind its decision to fit the new M3 and M4 with a torque converter automatic transmission instead of a dual-clutch one.

With the help of a transmission designer named Karsten, the advantages of the torque converter gearbox are outlined. The move away from a DCT transmission in any M car is noteworthy because its speed is hard to beat.

“Yes, changing gear with a double-clutch transmission is even faster and sharper with the optimal gear because it can also use inertia, which we can’t with a torque converter transmission,” says Karsten.

Read Also: Is The 2021 BMW M4 With The Six-Speed Manual The One To Buy?

Despite that, the M3 and the M4 now use a slightly slower torque converter transmission because it’s a question of considering the full package. These are known to be smoother at low speeds, which makes them better for luxury applications.

Their sluggishness made them unfashionable for performance cars in the oughts and the early teens, but they recently had a renaissance. Thanks to the hard work of people like Karsten, torque converter transmission shift speeds have improved and this one can shift gears in as little as 150 milliseconds. There are other advantages, too.

“With the torque converter transmission, through the converter lock-up clutch and the direct clutch to clutch shift, we now have, in principle, all gears pre-selected,” says Karsten. “Whereby with the double-clutch transmission, just one other gear can be preselected, which means that you can shift very quickly into this gear. If you decide on a different gear, then the gear shift is not optimal.”

That means that drivers have better shifts more of the time, and smoother changes at low speeds. Indeed, BMW feels it’s the best transmission for even high-performance applications like the M3/M4.

“I think the gear change is pretty close to perfection both as regards speed and comfort,” says Karsten.

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