BMW’s current generation M3 and M4 are angry, violent machines capable of creating terrifying speed spins. It looks like anyone who’s had the chance to do some tough driving during the M3 Competition would ask for a still tougher version, but that doesn’t stop BMW from offering us one. Join the BMW M3 CS 2024, which launches on Tuesday and promises a lighter, stronger and faster four-door M sedan.
Now, looking aside, the current M3 is a great car. It fixed almost every problem I had with the previous version. A large part of that is due to Additional all-wheel drive available and a conventional automatic instead of a dual-clutch automatic. I know, both of those things sound like downgrades, things that can detract from the driving experience, but they actually make the car go faster on the real road, not to mention generally nicer to live with. That’s why CS is rad, because it uses the M3 Competition xDrive as a base and then rotates the wick up.
As part of a plan to ramp up the intensity on an already intense vehicle, BMW used a 3.0-liter turbocharged, inline-six engine, increasing the boost to 30.5 psi. rudimentary to make a 40-horsepower bump over the M3 Competition, for a total of 543 ponies. The peak torque figure of 479 lb-ft is achieved at 2,750 rpm and stays the same at 5,950 rpm. The Munich volks claim this is enough to propel the M3 CS to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, and an electronically limited top speed of 188 mph.
More power is one thing, but reducing weight is the best way to increase a car’s performance. To that end, BMW has gone entirely with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), using it in the roof, hood, front splitter, front air intakes, exterior mirror caps, and amplifier. CS rear canopy and rear spoiler. The interior also uses it in the center console, gearshift paddles and some decorative details. The extremely uncomfortable M Carbon Bucket seats are now standard equipment, as is the titanium rear muffler, which BMW claims saves about 8 pounds. BMW says the CS is about 75 pounds lighter than the regular M3 Competition xDrive.
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The rest of the car is pretty much standard M3 Competition, which is to say pretty nice, and while the list of standard go-fast parts is longer, things like carbon ceramic brakes and Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires are optional extras. That might seem reasonable, except that the CS adds a whopping $37,095 to the price of the M3 Comp xDrive on which it’s based — or about a GR Corolla, pre-dealer price increase — for a total of $119,695, including a $995 destination fee.
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