BMW has created a special version of the high performance M4 to mark the 46 birthday of works driver and motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi.

Limited to a run of 92 cars two models will be produced - Sport and Style.

The world-famous number, which is Rossi's trademark, features prominently in several places on and inside the BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 - on the doors and the roof, which is made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic.

"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 race track later, it will be very cool," says Valentino Rossi about the edition and the collaboration with BMW M.

A high-revving 3.0-litre, sixâcylinder in-line engine developing 550hp with MTwinPower Turbo technology powers the car giving it a 0 to 62mph acceleration of 3.4 seconds and a top speed just shy of 189mph.

The number 46 has accompanied Valentino Rossi throughout his extraordinary career as a motorcycle racer and racing driver, and has become even more of a trademark than his nickname "The Doctor" or "Il Dottore".

Having seen his father GrazianoRossi race motorcycles with number 46, Valentino also opted for 46 from the start of his career - and never even swapped it for number 1 when he became world champion, as would have been his right.

Valentino 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.

By 2005 he had added a further four world titles, and numbers eight and nine were to follow in 2008 and 2009. With these 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 and a global motor sport icon. VR46 has become a worldwide trademark - and Rossi's home town of Tavullia has even reduced its speed limit from the usual 50 km/h to 46 km/h in his honour.

When the curtain fell on his motorcycle career at the finale to the 2021 season, Valentino Rossi turned his attention solely to car racing, having already attended multiple tests in Formula 1 race cars and made guest appearances in rallies andendurance races.

Since the start of the 2023 season, he has been a BMWMworks driver, plying his trade at the wheel of a BMWM4GT3 for BMWMTeam WRT in series including the GTWorldChallenge Europe and the FIAWorld Endurance Championship which includes the 24HoursofLeMans.

At the start of February 2025, he finished runner-up in a BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12Hour the opening round of this season's IntercontinentalGT Challenge (IGTC).

An exclusive bonus that comes with purchasing a BMW M4 CS Edition VR46 is the opportunity to enjoy a two-day experience in Italy. Day one features a visit to the VR46 Motor Ranch in Tavullia, including a barbecue and a chance to talk shop with Valentino Rossi himself.

On day two, you will head to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for a special BMW M Driving Experience with the latest BMW M models.

Prices will show a premium over the £120,000 of the regular car.