The 2022 BMW M5 CS is the company’s fastest production car to date

BMW unveiled its fastest ever production car, the 2022 M5 CS, on Tuesday. Based on the already extreme M5 competition, the CS increases horsepower, reduces weight and adds a few touches of rad design to set it apart from the pack. Having said that, you will definitely pay for this privilege.

The M5 CS uses the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 as the rest of the M5 lineup. Here, this engine produces 627 horsepower, an increase of 10 horsepower over the M5 Competition. The output torque is unchanged at 553 lb-ft, and that power is transmitted to the wheels by an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW claims the M5 CS can accelerate to 100 km / h in 2.9 seconds – there’s this fastest spec ever – although it’s only 0.2 seconds off the 3.1-second time of the competition. The CS gets a revised exhaust with stainless steel tips, so it should feel fairly smooth under full throttle.

Like the competition, the M5 CS has an active all-wheel drive system, with torque vectoring between the front and rear axles. The standard Active M rear differential can still distribute power between the two rear wheels, which is particularly useful because – like all M5s – the CS can cut off its front axle and operate in rear-wheel drive mode.

Thanks to the increased use of carbon fiber in the body panels and inside the car, the M5 CS weighs 230 pounds less than the M5 Competition, although it is still not light, at 4,114 books. The roof, hood redesigned (which looks a bit too Redeye Charger to our liking), the front splitter, rear diffuser, spoiler and mirror caps are all carbon fiber, as is the engine cover.

To better handle the slight power bump and reduced weight, the CS makes minor adjustments to the M5 Competition’s springs and shocks, which are already much stiffer than the base M5. Another advantage for handling is the availability of grippy Pirelli P Zero Corsa summer tires, measuring 275 / 35R20 at the front and 285 / 35R20 at the rear. These tires are a free option and you will definitely want them. Thank goodness the 20 inch gold wheels are standard and you can get gold calipers for the carbon ceramic brakes.

Speaking of which, there are a whole bunch of golden accents on the M5 CS. In addition to the wheels, you will find this gilded bronze finish on the outline of the grille and the badges. Oh, and the LED sidelights light up yellow instead of white, which is a bit of a great race-inspired styling. It all looks pretty good against the frozen dark green paintwork of the car pictured here.

Inside the M5, the CS has a four-seat configuration with individual rear buckets. The carbon fiber front seats have a ton of reinforcements and look supportive as hell, and don’t worry, the M5 logos on the front seats are illuminated. You will find CS badges throughout the cabin, as well as Alcantara suede. BMW’s latest iDrive 7 infotainment technology is housed on a large touchscreen atop the dashboard, and a cluster of digital gauges also displays more important information.

Now for the massive caveat: The 2022 BMW M5 CS costs $ 142,995, of which $ 995 is for the destination. That means it’s $ 30,900 more than the M5 competition, which is a pretty big increase. Yes, you get cool seats, gold trim, and 10 extra horsepower, but things like the gold wheels and P Zero Corsa tires could probably be bought for a lot less. It’s a story similar to the M2 CS: cool car, but really expensive. Nevertheless, BMW will only offer the M5 CS for the 2022 model year and the first American cars will arrive in the second half of 2021.