BMW celebrates the 46th anniversary of the legendary Valentino Rossi with the limited M4 CS Edition VR46

Since his arrival in the MotoGP World Championship in 1996, the iconic and decorated Italian rider Valentino Rossi took part in 432 races, of which in 65 he set the fastest lap, achieved 235 podiums and took 115 victories, all with seasons and races that will go down in history and earned him 9 world titles, which are perhaps even more significant when we consider the regulation changes he faced during his career, such as the switch from 500 cc two-stroke to 990 cc four-stroke.

In 2021 Valentino Rossi ran his final MotoGP season, leaving his mark on a hugely successful record and becoming a Legend rider, but his footprint in the world of competition did not end there. Valentino has always been a great enthusiast of four-wheeled motorsport, taking part in tests of the World Rally Championship and winning several editions of the Monza Rally Show. However, what will be remembered are his runs with the Formula 1 cars of Ferrari, which earned him impressive times, such as coming within just one second of the time set by Michael Schumacher on his first day, and which intensified rumours of a possible move to Formula 1.

With this record, the good Valentino Rossi decided to extend his shadow over the world of competition, beginning with his full-time participation in 2022 in the GT World Challenge Europe, aboard a Audi R8 LMS for Team WRT. For the start of the 2023 season, Team WRT changed its cars, and so Rossi became a BMW M driver, aboard a BMW M4 GT3. With greater accumulated skill in 2023, BMW M trusted him and his teammates to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Bathurst, finishing as runner-up in the latter.

The number 46 has always accompanied Valentino Rossi throughout this long sporting career, including in cars, a number he carries in homage to his father, also a motorcycle racer, with whom he achieved his first victory in 1979 at the controls of a Morbidelli at the Dutch circuit of Assen. Now Valentino Rossi has just turned 46, a magical figure for the rider as you can imagine, and BMW M wanted to celebrate and commemorate it through the limited edition M4 CS Edition VR46, of which, as you might suppose, only 46 units will be built for the whole world.

The BMW M4 CS began sales last autumn and arrived to position itself as a sportier option than the M4 Competition and one step below the radicalness of the M4 CSL. The M4 CS Edition VR46 will be built in two versions called Sport and Style in BMW Individual colours favoured by the rider, with Valentino Rossi himself actively participating in the design of both versions, just as he previously did in MotoGP with the design of the special decorations on his motorcycles and his eye-catching AGV helmets.

The Sport version is finished in Bay Blue metallic, with an oversized 46 on both sides in a darker blue called Tanzanite Blue metallic; while the Style version is finished in Tanzanite Blue matt metallic with the number 46 in Bay Blue metallic. Obviously the Brilliant Yellow, Rossi’s signature colour, appears on elements such as the outline of the BMW M kidney grille, the V-spoke M light-alloy forged wheels which also serve to indicate the valve position, the brake calipers with the M logo and, on the Sport version, a stripe over the door frames. To complete the exterior, the carbon-fibre roof is adorned with the VR46 logo large and yellow and, smaller, on the rear tailgate.

In the interior of the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 both versions share the same design pattern, predominantly in Night Blue. The spectacular M Carbon seats are upholstered in Merino leather using the Black/Night Blue colour combination, while as a contrast the shoulder areas, upholstered in Alcantara, are in Sao Paulo Yellow. The yellow colour also appears in the stitching of the Alcantara M steering wheel and the central marker it carries, and to round off this limited edition, the VR46 logo in yellow on the headrests and door sills, plus an identification plate with the number of units on the carbon-fibre centre console.

In addition, all the fortunate owners of the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 will enjoy a unique experience: an exclusive and personal meeting with Valentino Rossi at his home, the VR46 Motor Ranch in Tavullia, and a BMW M driving experience at the Misano racing circuit where they can make the most of their new machine.

Mechanically, let us remember that the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 also uses the 3,000 cc inline six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, producing 550 CV and a torque of 650 Nm, which is sent to all four wheels through the intelligent M xDrive system and the active M differential, managed also through the eight-speed M Steptronic automatic gearbox. With this configuration its acceleration to 100 km/h is 3.4 seconds and, as the M Drive Package is fitted as standard on this Edition VR46, its top speed is limited to 302 km/h.