Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Few folks within the motorsports realm have the name recognition of Valentino Rossi. Even if you’d never watched MotoGP, you likely are aware of the 7-time world champ. He’s up there with Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Michael Dunlop, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Travis Pastrana.
And while the champ retired from two-wheeled racing a number of years ago, after lighting a fire under the ass of MotoGP’s Marc Marquez to beat Vale’s record, Rossi is still racing. He’s just doing so on four wheels instead of two. And given his prior team of Yamaha doesn’t have a four-wheeled offering to play with, Vale’s gone over to BMW to race in GT3 aboard an M4.
To celebrate the partnership, as well as Valentino’s 46th birthday—which coincides with his racing number of 46—BMW launched a special edition M4 CS road car that you or I could, theoretically, purchase if we were the ultimate driving and Rossi fans. And honestly, it looks pretty sick.
The M4 CS Edition VR46, which is its name, will have a limited series production involving two separate liveries; one in Frozen Tanzanite Blue Metallic and the other in Marina Bay Blue Metallic. Only 46 cars will be produced of each for a total of 92 cars, each of which will carry Rossi’s signature, his iconic 46 number, and a few choice flourishes throughout the car.
BMW also worked with Rossi to give the M4 CS some mechanical upgrades, including uprated horsepower, a faster top speed, as well as bespoke chassis tuning. According to BMW, the upgraded engine now produces 543 horsepower and can clip 188 mph thanks to the M Driver’s Package. The suspension’s been tweaked with increased spring rates and solid motor mounts provide more rigidity throughout. A titanium exhaust sends the six-cylinder’s noise out back
And BMW states that “The individually tuned axle kinematics and bespoke wheel camber settings, dampers, auxiliary springs and anti-roll bars serve to optimize steering precision, transmission of lateral control forces when cornering, spring and damping response and wheel location. The electronically controlled dampers of the adaptive M suspension likewise come in a model-specific set-up, as does the electromechanical M Servotronic steering with variable ratio, and the integrated braking system.”
That’s a lot of German technical talk for “The car will go around a corner flatter and faster than before.” You’re welcome.
As for Vale himself, the champion said, “There is no other brand that has motorsport so deeply rooted in its DNA as BMW M. I am proud to be a BMW M works driver, and to share this passion. The fact that there is now a special VR46 edition, in which I was involved from the very beginning of the design process, makes me proud. When I see the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 out on the road or on the racetrack later, it will be very cool.”
