This year was a big one for BMW as it launched new generations of its flagship cars, debuted a bunch of electric vehicles, and most importantly, it was the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the high-performance M department.
As such, the manufacturer was hard at work crafting new special-edition cars to make the year even more noteworthy.
With the last one finally being unveiled, we look back at all the eye-poppingly beautiful, frighteningly fast, special-series BMWs shown off in 2022.
M4 CSL
Derived from the M4 Competition, the two-seater CSL gets chassis upgrades, a unique engine tune, a ferocious body kit, and kerb weight that has been decreased by around 100kg.
Driven by BMW’s well-known 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, six-cylinder engine the coupe delivers 30kW more power than the model it’s based on, putting out a total of 405kW and 650Nm.
With this powerplant, the rear-wheel-drive M4 is capable of claiming 100km/h in 3.7 seconds and it will peak at a maximum of 305km/h.
Thanks to the CSL treatment, the sports car also sees full M Carbon bucket seats shaving off 24kg, the removal of the rear seats and related components trimming another 21kg, as well as fitment of a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bonnet, roof, boot lid, and centre console saving a further 11kg.
Reduced sound insulation, more liberal use of ultra-lightweight materials, titanium rear silencers, carbon ceramic brakes, light-alloy wheels, and modifications to the grille, lights, floor mats, and climate control cut down a final 44kg.
Only 1,000 units of the M4 CSL are to be produced with 15 earmarked for South Africa. The first examples are already in the hands of local customers, too.
XM
The XM is the first plug-in hybrid vehicle to feature an M badge as well as the first to come with rear-wheel steering as standard.
Designed solely by the M department, the SUV boasts a monolithic appearance with striking LED lights, bright gold trimmings, a big illuminated kidney grille, and large slabs of body panels.
Quite fittingly, it’s also powered by the brand’s flagship 4.4-litre, V8 engine which is paired with an “exceptionally powerful” electric motor for a maximum system capacity of 480kW and 800Nm.
This new-energy drivetrain supplies a fleeting 0-100km/h sprint of 4.3 seconds while top speed is limited to 250km/h. As a partially-electrified vehicle, it also manages up to 88km of emission-free driving at a maximum of 140km/h.
While not a limited-edition model, the XM is heralded as the first M original since the M1 from 1978, making it still rather special.
Next year, the standard XM will be joined by an even more powerful sibling, the Label Red.
3.0 CSL
Capping off the M department’s anniversary year was the reveal of the ultra-exclusive 3.0 CSL, a reincarnation of the original 1970s model that championed the European Touring Car series five consecutive times from 1975 to 1979.
Based on nothing that exists in the manufacturer’s line-up, the 3.0’s coupe-shaped body receives a front spoiler, air fins on the bonnet, intake recesses in the front bumper, a roof spoiler, a carbon rear diffuser, a rear wing, and exceptionally-wide wheel arches harking back to its ancestor.
The roof, bonnet, boot lid, and front and rear aprons are produced strictly from carbon, too, and the centre-locking wheels are made of lightweight alloys wrapped in specially-developed Michelin tyres with “50” embossed on the sidewalls.
As its name would suggest, this CSL is motivated by the same 3.0-litre unit found in the M4, this time around tuned to generate an even higher 412kW and 550Nm.
As purist as can be, the powerplant connects to a six-speed manual gearbox delivering drive to the rear wheels only, with a top speed in excess of 300km/h on the cards.
Only 50 units of the 3.0 CSL will be made each one numbered sequentially, and, unfortunately, it has been confirmed that none of them is coming to local roads.
Keyword: All the special-edition BMWs revealed in 2022