Meet BMW’s Fastest Production Car, the New Limited-Edition 627 HP M5 CS

Bryan Hood
·3 min read

BMW’s M models are high-performance by definition, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. Which is why the automaker will release an even more powerful variant of the M5 later this year.

Unveiled on Tuesday, the 2022 M5 CS is a lighter and more muscular version of the high-performance sedan—even with its souped up Competition package. It’s also a limited-edition model that will only be available for one year and only select markets.

More from Robb Report

The M5 doesn’t lack for power. The base model features a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that delivers 600 horsepower and 553 ft lbs of torque. But the marque’s engineers have been able to take the mill and squeeze in an extra 27 horses (10 more than the M5 Competition). While some purists will roll their eyes at the lack of a manual transmission, the car’s acceleration numbers should more than make up for its exclusion. BMW claims the CS can rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds quicker than the M5 Competition and easily makes it the automaker’s quickest production car, according to CNET Roadshow. A top speed of 190 mph isn’t too shabby, either.

But credit for the car’s lightning-quick acceleration time also belongs to its reduced weight. The CS weighs a full 230 pounds less than M5 Competition. This is mainly due to new carbon-fiber elements, including the hood, front splitter, rear diffuser, rear splitter and mirror housings, as well as all four seats in the cabin. Engineers also cut down on the amount of sound deadening material throughout the car. These tweaks allowed the car to shed some serious pounds, all without having to sacrifice its all-wheel-drive system. And if you’re worried about the reduced weight changing how the car feels, fret not because BMW has adjusted the car’s springs and dampers accordingly.

From the outside, the CS doesn’t look all that different from the M5 or M5 Competition, but it does feature several striking gold bronze accents, including on the kidney grilles, badging and forged 20-inch wheels. Inside, you’ll find special CS badging, illuminated M5 logos, Alcantara suede, the company’s latest iDrive 7 infotainment suite and a digital gauge cluster that’ll display even more info than the standard M5.

For the time being, BMW only plans to offer the M5 CS as part of the 2022 model year and only in the North America, UK, Germany and Russia markets. This exclusivity, along with a laundry list of performance and design upgrades, won’t come cheap. The sporty sedan will start at $142,995 when it goes on sale later this year, which is $36,000 more than the standard M5 and nearly $30,000 more than the M5 Competition.

Best of Robb Report

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.