BMW's->ke178 badging for special versions of M products->ke546 sometimes feels a bit like it's being made up as they go along. But the upcoming M4 GTS is not only a return of the GTS badge, first used on the 2010 M3 GTS, but it is also shaping up to be quite an impressive car. We've been getting piecemeal bits of information about the car for a little while, and the latest news from Bimmerpost tells us a bit about the weight savings we can expect from the car.

The first thing to look for is that there will be no back seat. Rear seat deletes are pretty much standard for all really serious track-focused versions of 2+2 coupes. The body will also be 220 pounds lighter than that of the standard M4,->ke4183 doubtless through the use of carbon fiber, as was the case with the previous GTS. A number of other creature comforts will be deleted, such as the infotainment and climate control systems, and racing seats will replace the remaining two seats. There might be options available in Europe which won't be available in the US, but this is still undetermined.

Continue reading to learn more about the BMW M4 GTS.

Why it matters

BMW likes to trace the heritage of the whole M division back to the 3.0 CSL of the '70s, which was a faster version of a mainstream car and also an absolute legend on the racetrack. But fast as they are, M cars are pretty well stocked with luxury features, whereas the 3.0 CSL only existed in road-going form at all in order to satisfy homologation requirements. It's really cars like the GTS that are more fitting spiritual successors to the CSL. This is important because BMW just unveiled a new concept car at Villa d'Este,->ke2163 a modern reimagining of the CSL called the 3.0 CSL Hommage.

Coming as it did just a few months before a new hardcore version of the M4, the folks at Bimmerpost are expecting some elements of the Hommage to make it into the new GTS, although it would probably be a bit optimistic to hope for much of the wild styling. What we do know we can expect is the water injection system that debuted on the M4 MotoGP Safety Car. That's certainly a big deal, as it is a technology that isn't available on any other production vehicle. Whether it will ever be deemed practical enough for any other road cars remains to be seen, but that's just part of what makes the M4 GTS so interesting.

Bimmerpost0}

You can check our speculative review of the M4 GTS here.