BMW M4 GTS and 3.0 CSL Hommage concepts headed to Pebble Beach

The M4 GTS will be based on BMW's M4 MotoGP car

BMW will showcase a thinly disguised concept version of its upcoming M4 GTS at the Pebble Beach Concours next month

BMW will present two concept cars at the Pebble Beach Concours next month, with one set to preview the upcoming M4 GTS, and the other an evolution of the 3.0 CSL Hommage concept revealed in May.

The hot M4 GTS will take inspiration from BMW’s M4 MotoGP safety car, revealed back in February. It’s expected to go on sale in the summer of 2016.

The car uses a new water injection system to regulate the temperature of its turbocharger; as a result power from the M4’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six engine is increased to as much as 467bhp, well up from the standard model’s 425bhp.

Both the current M3 and M4 are due to receive the water injection technology as part of a planned facelift next year.

The M4 GTS concept shown at next month’s event will be a thinly disguised version of the real car, with only minor styling changes differentiating it from the production version.

Designed to be a stripped-out, track-focused version of the regular M4, the GTS is likely to offer a significantly lower kerb weight compared with the standard car’s 1572kg. It should also feature modified aerodynamic bodywork and could include the same fixed rear wing as the MotoGP car.

The M4 GTS was inadvertently made known to the public after it was listed under the 4 Series section of BMW’s US website in May. The previous usage of the GTS badge was on an extreme variant of the previous-generation M3, in 2010. Only 150 examples of that car were made.

BMW has a history of previewing its fast cars at Pebble Beach. In 2013, the firm showcased a concept version of the M4 Coupe at the event.

It’s also understood that BMW will show an updated version of its 3.0 CLS Hommage concept car at Pebble Beach, with an image of the car’s steering wheel design being released on social media.

First unveiled at the Concourso d’Eleganza Villa d'este event in May, the 3.0 CSL Hommage concept was initially described as a one-off recreation of the classic 3.0 CSL from the early 1970s.

The 3.0 CSL Hommage was billed as a statement of intent, as BMW’s M Division seeks to make more extreme, lightweight cars to rival the likes of Mercedes-AMG’s Black Series models. One of the first cars to be built to that strategy will be the M4 GTS.

Although BMW officials have previously denied there are any plans to put the 3.0 CSL Hommage into production, the car’s second outing at a major motor show could point to plans for a limited-run model being put on sale.

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