My job gives me the unique opportunity to spend time with BMW executives — both from BMW AG and BMW M. It’s a privilege not only because I get to speak with some of the smartest and most creative people I’ve ever met, but because I can approach them from two perspectives: journalist and customer.
And as you can probably guess, sometimes the customer side of me takes over.
There’s no secret that I’m a BMW enthusiast — hence this very website you’re reading. Even though I’ve worked hard to give BMWBLOG an objective, balanced voice in how we review and analyze cars, the subjective side of me occasionally breaks through. Especially when the topic turns to dream projects.
At this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, over excellent French food and a few beers (I know, they don’t really go together), I found myself in a casual conversation with several BMW executives. This wasn’t an interview — just car people talking about cars. And while I’m usually the one asking the questions, this time the table turned.
“What would be your ideal BMW M car if there were no constraints?”
That question caught me off guard. I hesitated — partly because I hadn’t thought about it in a while, and partly because I’d stopped entertaining dream projects. I know how internal business cases work, what’s financially feasible, and how rarely passion projects make it through the approval gauntlet. Still, when you’re handed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dream out loud, you take it.
The Dream: An M2 CSL
After a long pause — met with a few curious looks across the table — I went all in.
“Well,” I said, “since you’re asking… there’s one car I’ve been dreaming about, because I love small, powerful, compact cars. Hence my 1M. My dream today would be an M2 CSL.”
But not just any M2 CSL.
First, I’d want both transmissions — a six-speed manual for purists and an eight-speed automatic for those who prefer the stopwatch to the shifter. Under the hood, give me a spiced-up version of the S58 engine, ideally paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to trim turbo lag and sharpen throttle response.
Then there’s xDrive. I love rear-wheel drive as much as anyone, but the M4 CSL’s RWD setup doesn’t fully unleash the car’s potential. Grip and balance matter — but so does weight. Adding xDrive means roughly 200 extra pounds, and the M2 is already heavy. So I said, “Fine — let’s lose weight everywhere we can.”
Give me a carbon-fiber hood and trunk, lighter wheels, composite panels, a rear seat delete with a roll cage — whatever it takes. Bring the curb weight down to around 3,100 pounds, roughly Porsche Cayman GT4 RS territory, and you’d have a proper weapon.
Lightweight, Powerful, Personal
Greedy as I am, I didn’t stop there. This was my one chance to dream with the people who could actually make it happen.
Inside, I’d want lightweight bucket seats, a choice between Alcantara or leather, custom stitching, colored seatbelts — the details that make a car feel special. And let customers pick any exterior color from BMW Individual, no restrictions, just like Porsche’s Paint-to-Sample program.
One of the executives looked at me, half amused and half baffled, and said, “Should we just make a BMWBLOG Paint Color too?”
I replied, “Of course. There’s no other way.”
Power? 550 to 560 horsepower feels perfect — enough for a sub-three-second 0–60 mph time without turning it into a numbers car. Add optional carbon-ceramic brakes, a subtle aero kit, maybe an exposed carbon-fiber hood and racing wing. Basically, build the M car the engineers would design if accounting didn’t get in the way.
The Suspension Dream
Just when they thought I was finished, someone smiled and asked, “Anything else you’d like on your M2 CSL by BMWBLOG?”
I laughed — but I wasn’t done.
“I’d also want a completely redesigned suspension,” I said. “Proper spring rates, tuned rebound and damping, adjustable ride height focused on precision rather than comfort. Shocks engineered specifically for the springs. Add front control arms with roll-center correction, camber plates, upgraded bushings, and a kit for correcting rear alignment.”
By this point, the laughter was contagious. One of them looked at me like I was secretly founding my own sportscar company.
“How Much Would You Pay For It?”
Then came the dangerous question.
“Alright,” one said, “how much would you pay for it — and how many should we build?”
That one made me pause again. I’m financially conservative and don’t have endless funds, but I tried to think like a collector. “A GT4 RS price point,” I said. “Around $200,000 sounds fair for something truly special.”
Production numbers? That’s trickier. I love limited editions — whether it’s sneakers, watches, or cars — but if you make too many, it loses its soul. Make too few, and no one can actually buy one.
So I said, “Let’s compromise. Build 3,000 to 5,000 units. That’s rare enough to be collectible, but not so exclusive it becomes a ghost. Make it as special as the 1M. Imagine seeing one 40 years from now at a BMW concours d’elegance.”
By then, everyone was smiling — not because the idea was absurd, but because I’d casually added to the BMW M’s product roadmap between bites of steak frites.
Dreaming Out Loud
Whether my dream car ever happens is up to BMW M. But for a few hours in France, I got to play designer, engineer, and dreamer all at once. Even if they laughed at how far I took it, I think everyone at that table understood where it came from — that pure passion for driving that built BMW M in the first place.
So whether it’s ever built or not, I was flattered that, for one evening, they let me dream out loud. And maybe, deep down, some of them are dreaming about the same thing too.
