Racing for BMW M Motorsport certainly has its perks. Before Valentino Rossi picks up his shiny new M4 CS, the bespoke coupe is publicly displayed at the BMW Welt in Munich. The car stands out for a couple of reasons. For starters, it doesn’t have one of the four regular paint finishes available for the customer cars that BMW is making. Rather than Frozen Isle of Man Green, Riviera Blue, Sapphire Black, or M Brooklyn Grey, the one-off is painted in Frozen Tanzanite Blue.
This week, Valentino Rossi turned 46, which just so happens to be his iconic racing number. The instantly recognizable “VR46” motif adorns the carbon fiber roof and the trunk lid. The Doctor’s signature color, fluorescent yellow (neon yellow), surrounds the kidney grille. The vibrant shade also forms a “V” on the otherwise black wheels.
A huge “46” in a lighter shade of blue adorns the profile. Interestingly, this M4 CS is missing the yellow daytime running lights, as BMW went instead with the usual white LEDs. The typical red body accents reserved for Competition Sport model have been deleted for Valentino Rossi’s one-of-a-kind car. Elsewhere, the brake calipers are sprayed in the eye-catching fluorescent yellow. All the exposed carbon fiber body parts and the laser taillights are still there.
BMW is only making 1,700 M4 CS for customers. Nothing is official, but we reckon Valentino Rossi’s car doesn’t count in the regular production run. If you want essentially the same package in a far more practical vehicle, there’s now an M3 CS Touring. Although the M division hasn’t said how many it’s making, expect fewer than 2,000 units.
The CS lineup will grow even more later this year when the M2 CS will break cover. Hopefully, BMW will also give enthusiasts another M5 CS Sedan in the G90’s life cycle. If that happens, logic tells us there will also be an M5 CS Touring.
