Share This Article
To celebrate the 46th birthday of the nine-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi, BMW M GmbH has showcased the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 (combined fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 232 g/km acc. WLTP, CO2 class: G)*. Designers and product experts from BMW M worked closely with the current BMW M works driver to develop the exclusive edition model sporting Rossi’s world-famous number 46. “The Doctor”, or “Il Dottore”, was personally involved in the design process for the two distinctive Sport and Style design variants, each of which is limited to 46 cars. Having adopted “46” from his own father, the exceptional Italian racing driver retained the number throughout his career as it became his trademark and never even swapped it with the #1 of a reigning world champion. Every single BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 rolled off the production line at the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing between February and May – the result of a unique combination of large-scale processes and manual paintwork expertise.
The BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 “Style” and “Sport” variants will be on display at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2025 from 23 to 25 May on the shores of Lake Como.
Tailor-made exclusivity and craftsmanship
The BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 boasts special BMW Individual paint finishes that blend perfectly with the many exposed carbon surfaces. The Sport variant captivates thanks to a finish in Marina Bay Blue metallic with outsized “46” graphics in Tanzanite Blue metallic and bright yellow accents on the BMW M kidney grille, the brake calipers and the forged light-alloy wheels. In the “Style” design variant, the bodywork comes in matte Frozen Tanzanite Blue metallic, with the “46” in Frozen Marina Bay Blue metallic. The carbon-fibre roof of both variants is adorned with the VR46 logo and Rossi’s signature. Both the bonnet and the roof were manufactured and individually painted at BMW Group Plant Landshut. The component plant also provided the lightweight high-precision struts for the engine compartment and engine parts such as the crankcase and the cylinder head, which were installed in the high-performance drive system at BMW Group Plant Steyr.
Special production processes at BMW Group Werk Dingolfing
The production of the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 reveals the impressive levels of flexibility and skill applied to manufacturing exclusive small-batch series at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. The Jeff Koons edition models for the BMW 8 Series and the 50 examples of the BMW 3.0 CSL first saw the light of day at the Bavarian plant, where high-tech manufacturing and craftsmanship go hand in hand, in the paint shop in particular.
For the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46, an underlying colour tone was applied as primer before the cars were removed from the series production process. The entire paintwork surface was then sanded down to improve the adhesion of the subsequent paint layers. The paintwork experts in Dingolfing then applied specially-made stencils to mask the “46” and other design elements, such as the bright yellow lines on the rear end and the A-column, before adding the contrast colour to the masking film. Once all the layers of paint had dried and the masking film had been removed, a clear varnish coating was added to the design area by hand and then sanded down – after drying again – to guarantee seamless transitions and a flawless surface. The cars then returned to the regular series production process to receive another layer of clear varnish and for the installation of the carbon-fibre roof that was manufactured in Landshut. Overall, each car required 20 hours’ work from a small team of four hand-picked paint experts to complete the exclusive BMW Individual paint finish on the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46.
Vehicle assembly: components and interior characterised by VR46
The next step in the production process took the edition cars to Dingolfing for assembly. The exclusive design is also reflected in the installed components, such as the bumpers specially painted in Landshut, and on the inside of the car. Night Blue dominates in the interior, with yellow accents. The M Carbon bucket seats have a shoulder area in Sao Paulo Yellow, with yellow contrast stitching and a yellow centre marker on the steering wheel. The headrests and door sill trims feature a prominent yellow VR46 logo, while the carbon-fibre centre console of all examples features a “1/46” badge. Having passed extensive quality controls, the cars of this exclusive edition are now ready for delivery to the two sets of 46 customers around the world.
Includes a “once in a lifetime” experience for customers
Customers who purchase one of the 405 kW/550 HP BMW M4 CS Edition VR46s also enjoy the added value of a “once in a lifetime” experience: an exclusive personal meeting with Valentino Rossi at his home, the VR46 Motor Ranch in Tavullia (ITA), and a BMW M Driving Experience with current BMW M models at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Rossi, at the wheel of a BMW M4 GT3, won GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup races at his home circuit in both 2023 and 2024 and is aiming to complete a hat-trick this year. “The Doctor” has been a BMW M works driver since the start of the 2023 season, plying his trade at the wheel of a BMW M4 GT3 for BMW M Team WRT, having called time on his motorcycle career at the 2021 season finale and turned his attention solely to car racing. He had already attended multiple tests in Formula 1 race cars and made guest appearances in rallies and endurance races. The Italian has been competing as a BMW M works driver in the GT World Challenge Europe, with the 24 Hours of Spa (BEL) as a highlight, as well as racing in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) or at the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS), where he celebrated second place in the BMW M4 GT3 at the opening round of this season’s Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC).
Creating a legend on two wheels
“Il Dottore” had already become a living legend and global motorsport and style icon on two wheels. With nine world championships and no fewer than 115 Grand Prix victories to his name, he is one of the three most successful motorcycle racers in history. Rossi claimed his first world title in the 125cc class in 1997. Two years later, he added the title in the 250cc class. In 2000, he took the step up to what was the top Grand Prix category, the 500cc class, in which he was crowned world champion in 2001. Rossi remained the dominant force when this category was replaced by the MotoGP class the following year. By 2005 he had added a further four world titles, and numbers eight and nine were to follow in 2008 and 2009. VR46 became a world-famous trademark – and Rossi’s home town of Tavullia even reduced its speed limit from the usual 50 km/h to 46 km/h in his honour.