Just a few days ago the BMW M4 CS made its public debut. This is the latest iteration of BMW’s well-known sports coupe. You can read our original BMW M4 CS article at this link. BMW’s M division takes aim squarely at products from Porsche’s 911 range. The CS is the closest thing to a rival for the GT3 from Stuttgart. This makes an ideal time for a BMW M4 CS vs Porsche 911 GT3 match-up.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

Buy now and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.

Two For Now

BMW has released the latest CS in two guises, the M3 and M4 body styles. That is to say, four- and two-door options. This gives the BMW a slight practicality advantage over the coupe-only GT3. Both the CS and GT3 are aimed at those who want a high-performance derivative but not one that is compromised for everyday use. BMW offers the M4 CSL and Porsche the GT3 RS for those who want a no-compromise option.

Six Power

Six-cylinder engines can be found in both cars’ engine bays. A naturally aspirated flat-six engine powers the Porsche. The 4,0-litre naturally aspirated motor develops 375 kW and 470 N.m of torque. A six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (PDK) transmission sends torque solely to the rear axle.

A twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine drives the CS. Power trumps that of the GT3 at 405 kW with a peak torque figure of 650 N.m. The BMW has an eight-speed automatic as its only option and is all-wheel drive. However, there is a RWD setting in the car’s powertrain menu.

Straight-line Performance

BMW says the M4 CS sprints from 0-100 km/h in 3,4 seconds. The electronically limited top speed is 302 km/h. The GT3 figures are quite similar. It can blast from standstill to 100 km/h in an identical 3,4 seconds (PDK) and has a top speed of 318 km/h, 0r 320 km/h for the manual version.

BMW says the M4 CS recorded an official time of 7 min 21,989 sec for the full 20,832-kilometre Nurburgring Nordschleife lap. Porsche development driver Lars Kern took just 6 min 59,927 sec for the same. That’s quite a gap.

When the M4 CS arrives in SA towards the end of this year, it will cost R3 050 000 and only 25 units will be sold locally. The GT3 starts from R3 916 000. So that quicker Nurburgring lap time does come with an additional cost.

Which of these two German sports coupes would you choose? Let us know on our Facebook page.