My Z4M CSL - Stage 3 Mods

Z

Z4M_CSL

Member
 Nottingham
I thought I'd put a post on here as there has been many questions on many boards regarding modifications to the lovely BMW Z4M. In standard trim it is a very capable car with little deficiencies. I have always been a fan of the M3 CSL. Its dynamics and not forgetting that induction roar! So I decided to try and do a CSL- like conversion on my Z4M. I wanted to keep the car naturally aspirated, no forced induction. I contacted various tuning dealers with limited success and that's when I came across CA-Automotive who I found very knowledgeable and conservative with power gain estimates .

One thing that was very important to me was the aftercare as I had a bad experience many years ago tuning a RX7 I use to own. I have already gone through 2 stages of detailed tuning and have found CA-Automotive to be very helpful but most importantly provided good aftercare and support. I must say the car sounds fantastic (incredible Induction roar) and is much quicker. I have to say they have the most BMW tuning stuff I've ever seen on any web-site. You could spend hours reading the stuff...Unfortunately for my wallet I think I have !! LOL.

Well I have now decided to embark on my third set on modifications to formally address the handling, braking, aerodynamics and not to forget and bit more power. For handling I have decided to go for Ground Control Anti-roll bars, Nitron Coil-over's and Rogue RTA bushes, with custom KDS geometry recommended by CA . For aerodynamics I have gone for AC_Schnitzer Carbon Fibre rear diffuser, CA - Custom made front carbon fibre corner splitters under the front spoiler air ducts and small splitters / Cannards on the rear of side skirts just in front of the rear wheels ( again custom made by CA ) . For better braking I am adding up-rated Axxis Ultimate brake pads and Goodridge brake lines and for power a Super Sprint Right Hand Drive Stepped Header with further adjustments to my existing Alpha N map to optimise their effect. Supersprint don’t actually make headers officially for the Z4M, but CA-Automotive did some investigation with Super Sprint on the E46 M3 headers and are quite confident they can be made to fit . Can't wait to see how these set of modifications work. I'll update more when I get the car back.

You can see my car in it’s current form on CA-Automotive’s website here

http://www.ca-automotive.co.uk/demo-bW9kZT12aWV3JmlkPTI5.html

You will also see there the article in Performance BMW magazine did on my car recently, again thanks to CA in sorting out my mind life crises. BMW CAR magazine have said they will be featuring the car also after this next stage of upgrades.

IMG_0630.jpg

IMG_0738.jpg

Well I will get back more information when I get the car back :-)
 
C = coupe
S = sports (all ///Ms fit this category)
L = lightweight (any weight-saving mods)

So which bit relates to the CSL moniker? Or is it just the CSL intake, cams & wheels that justify this tag? Have you got any figures from CA yet (and preferably from a reputable source too :P )

Great project, but I'd have gone the supercharger route myself, rather than spending what CA want for the CSL kit.
 
A guy on here actually swapped his engine for a CSL's. Can't remember who nor the thread about it though.

mmm-five, C is for club not coupe (or was it a joke i didn't get?).
 
nice...... would love to do some runs against your car at brunters ;-) car looks awesome, i love the handling mods!! do you get any rub on your lowered setup?
i dont suppose you have any detailed pics of the suspension mods??

car looks awesome, absolutly wikid, must be one of the quickest z4m's out their!!!
 
welcome to the forum

great project but i agree with mmm-five, think i would go down the supercharger route
 
Hi Z4M CSL

This is a tough crowd. :roll:

I read the article on your Z4 in Performance BMW magazine a while ago, it was great reading, but unfair to compare your car to that highly tuned M3.

I noticed you went to town on the engine side and very little chassis improvements in the last article. Do think your latest mods will even things out more; hopefully the suspension will allow you use the power gains you’ve got.
In the article the performance figures weren't that special, is that because you were being kind to car?
Really interested to hear about the Nitron setup too

Good work
 
peddy said:
mmm-five, C is for club not coupe (or was it a joke i didn't get?).
Click to expand...
No, it wasn't a joke.

CSL is an acronym for the German 'Coupe Sport Leicht' or 'Coupe Sports Lightweight' in English, and was originally used on the e9.

CS is Club Sport.

If the OP doesn't mind calling his car a 'convertible' then he could get away with 'Convertible Sport Lightweight' :P
 
Nice car & welcome to the forum. What I know about tuning could be written on the back of a stamp so I'll stay impartial about that.

Love the colour, exhausts and rims look good too. Not sure about the CSL badge.. :fuelfire:
 
mmm-five said:
peddy said:
mmm-five, C is for club not coupe (or was it a joke i didn't get?).
Click to expand...
No, it wasn't a joke.

CSL is an acronym for the German 'Coupe Sport Leicht' or 'Coupe Sports Lightweight' in English, and was originally used on the e9.

CS is Club Sport.

If the OP doesn't mind calling his car a 'convertible' then he could get away with 'Convertible Sport Lightweight' :P
Click to expand...

Ah ok, I always thought since the CS was club sport, the CSL was club sport lightweight. my bad. :oops:
 
Your car looks awesome, can you tell me what colour you've had the CSLs done in and where?

It looks like the roadster version of mine.
 
Hello repliers,

Thanks for your replies and yes could of went down the forced induction route but wanted the CSL induction roar sound, and oh boy at 5k upwards it sounds amazing, even better than an actual M3 CSL. I've even had a few M3 e92 drivers saying my car sounds very good including one 911 GT3 RS Mk2 driver who I gave a very big shock. However I know this may sounds crazy but my mods wasn't about out and out power. Although supercharged cars are very quick but you have that wine sound which I didn’t want. I fine myself going slowly in second gear at about 4-5k revs because it sounds like a highly tuned car (all engine sound).

The Performance BMW mag article the car was only running 360bhp ish and the guy who done the times was having a bad day I think. He also had problems with the e92 M3 which I drove to on the day. That was a lovely car and was very fast but didn’t give that true M feeling.

The combination of the springs, CSl wheels, strut etc has helped the car handle much better than standard. So to finish off the car I wanted to go all the way on the handling. The car will be going to CA-Automotive tomorrow to have the rest of the work done. I’m sure when they do the new article in BMW Car magazine they’ll get 0-60 & 100 down.

I think it’s a shame that BMW are now making heaver cars like the M3 e92 and the new Z4 35is a.b.c or whatever it’s called now. The new z4 looks fab but it’s now competing with the Merc SLK. I think the finance people over at BMW have taken over the M division. What they need to do is put that 4.0L m3 engine in the new Z4, now that would be a car number one on my list.

Oh yes the CSL badges, lol, Z4M’s are very rare on UK roads so I wanted to make it look like a BMW special. So that was my little ‘bling’ on the car.
 
Z4M_CSL said:
Hello repliers,

Thanks for your replies and yes could of went down the forced induction route but wanted the CSL induction roar sound, and oh boy at 5k upwards it sounds amazing, even better than an actual M3 CSL. I've even had a few M3 e92 drivers saying my car sounds very good including one 911 GT3 RS Mk2 driver who I gave a very big shock. However I know this may sounds crazy but my mods wasn't about out and out power. Although supercharged cars are very quick but you have that wine sound which I didn’t want. I fine myself going slowly in second gear at about 4-5k revs because it sounds like a highly tuned car (all engine sound).

The Performance BMW mag article the car was only running 360bhp ish and the guy who done the times was having a bad day I think. He also had problems with the e92 M3 which I drove to on the day. That was a lovely car and was very fast but didn’t give that true M feeling.

The combination of the springs, CSl wheels, strut etc has helped the car handle much better than standard. So to finish off the car I wanted to go all the way on the handling. The car will be going to CA-Automotive tomorrow to have the rest of the work done. I’m sure when they do the new article in BMW Car magazine they’ll get 0-60 & 100 down.

I think it’s a shame that BMW are now making heaver cars like the M3 e92 and the new Z4 35is a.b.c or whatever it’s called now. The new z4 looks fab but it’s now competing with the Merc SLK. I think the finance people over at BMW have taken over the M division. What they need to do is put that 4.0L m3 engine in the new Z4, now that would be a car number one on my list.

Oh yes the CSL badges, lol, Z4M’s are very rare on UK roads so I wanted to make it look like a BMW special. So that was my little ‘bling’ on the car.
Click to expand...


i rather have a carbon air box then a sc. very very nice cars a lot of money invested surely. but the car is awesome
 
i also wouldt touch CA, wayyy over priced imo, the carbon airbox mods gives one of the best sounds out their but.... i personally wouldnt spent that money without wanting a significant gain, each to their own, the car looks awesome, real nice, i would love to see it race against a stock z4m to see how much of an improvement youve got ;-)
 
Z4M_CSL said:
I thought I'd put a post on here as there has been many questions on many boards regarding modifications to the lovely BMW Z4M. In standard trim it is a very capable car with little deficiencies. I have always been a fan of the M3 CSL. Its dynamics and not forgetting that induction roar! So I decided to try and do a CSL- like conversion on my Z4M. I wanted to keep the car naturally aspirated, no forced induction. I contacted various tuning dealers with limited success and that's when I came across CA-Automotive who I found very knowledgeable and conservative with power gain estimates .

One thing that was very important to me was the aftercare as I had a bad experience many years ago tuning a RX7 I use to own. I have already gone through 2 stages of detailed tuning and have found CA-Automotive to be very helpful but most importantly provided good aftercare and support. I must say the car sounds fantastic (incredible Induction roar) and is much quicker. I have to say they have the most BMW tuning stuff I've ever seen on any web-site. You could spend hours reading the stuff...Unfortunately for my wallet I think I have !! LOL...
Click to expand...


Hey Z4M_CSL - read this article with great envy :P - Great looking car I must add. Have you done any research on the G/Control anti roll bars, would be good to know the comparative thickness versus stock.

Agree with Beedub above - need to get your car against a stock Z4m to see the diff... :driving: which reminds me, we never got to see his S/charged beast against a stock Z.. :headbang:
 
sadly flaout i never got to do a safe run, with the traction control off, i personally wouldnt want to do this on the road...... but we all are supposed to be on a trackday soon..... im looking forward to showing al the ///Ms a clean pair of pipes!!!

i would like to ideally do some proper runs with the t/c off, so i can go from say 30-150, obviously we'd need some osrt of runway for this but it would be great to get on one of these days so i can take some proper vids......

sorry op back on topic.
 
I know its allot quicker as on a few occasions 60-110, 60-110 I’ve easily pulled away from M3 e46's and they were trying. The Shrick cams really give you that extra push at high revs 4500 upwards. I know the 911 GT3 (996 mk2 375bhp) tried and there was nothing in it but was only on full power for about 5-7 seconds (70-100ish). I’ve clocked with a mate 0-60 (65mph) in 4.5 myself but haven’t been able to 0-100 runs. I’m hoping for the MAG article I can go back to Bruntingthorpe to do some timed runs. Also I’m hoping the Super sprint Stepped Headers in conjunction with mapping will give me another 10-15 BHP. Super sprint dyno’s shows 12bhp on their own. We’ll just have to see what the Dyno says in about a week time. Can’t wait.
 
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