BMW has revealed the special-edition M3 CS that kicks up the intensity factor on an already-exciting sports sedan.
More power and less weight are the main ingredients for the new CS, with an exclusive design that accompanies the M3’s newfound ferocity.
The new BMW will be built in a limited run with production starting in March 2023 and the first customer units being delivered in the same month.
The automaker has confirmed that 20 examples of the CS will reach local roads, however, it said”the USA, Germany, the UK, and Japan are the most important sales regions for the new special-edition model.”
405kW monster
As with the M3 and M4, the new M3 CS is equipped with the brand’s well-known 3.0-litre, in-line six, twin-turbo powerplant which in this application sees a variety of enhancements derived directly from the manufacturer’s GT3 and DTM race cars.
The CS, therefore, receives a sleeve-free, closed-deck crankcase that can handle higher combustion pressures, weight-saving cylinder bores with a sprayed iron coating that reduces frictional losses, a forged lightweight crankshaft with higher torsional resistance that aids power build-up, 3D-printed cylinder heads that allow for optimal arrangement of cooling ducts, upgraded turbochargers that boost up to 2.1 bar, and new oil supply and cooling systems “designed to handle the specific challenges of track use,” said BMW.
These enhancements give the new four-door 30kW more power than its peers for a total of 405kW, while torque remains at a generous 650Nm.
Combined with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission, the CS is capable of sprinting from standstill to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and to 200km/h in 11.1 seconds, and it gets the M Driver’s Package as standard which lifts top speed to a staggering 302km/h.
For reference, the standard AWD M3 reaches 100km/h in 3.5 seconds and 200km/h in around 13 seconds, and it’s electronically limited to 250km/h.
The CS’s mid-range surge has also been improved, 80-120 km/h now completed in 2.6 seconds in fourth gear and 3.3 seconds in fifth gear.
Sharper than ever
The uprated power source isn’t the only improvement made to the M3 to make it a CS.
The newcomer gets individually-tuned axle kinematics as well as bespoke wheel camber settings, dampers, auxiliary springs, and anti-roll bars which altogether serve to optimise steering precision and chassis response.
Likewise, the electronically-controlled adaptive M suspension sees a model-specific setup, as do the steering and integrated braking systems.
The traction control and M Dynamic drive mode, too, have been “purposefully geared to the specific demands of high-speed circuit driving,” said BMW. To that end, it offers 2WD, 4WD, and 4WD Sport settings, with power at the rear being delivered to the surface through an active differential for the “signature M feeling when accelerating or powering through corners.”
Continuing the CS treatment are unique design features alongside extensive applications of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) that reduces mass while simultaneously improving body rigidity.
This material is used for the roof, bonnet, front splitter, air intakes, mirror caps, and rear diffuser and spoiler; alongside a titanium exhaust system that shaves 4kg from the standard steel one.
A host of individual design cues then speak to the exclusivity of the new BMW, such as a frameless kidney grille with red contour lines, CS badging with black surfaces and red borders, yellow Laserlight headlights, black side skirts, M gills, bonnet indents, and exposed CFRP surfaces.
Standard fitments for the halo M3 further include M Carbon ceramic brakes in matte gold or red, as well as exclusive V-spoke, lightweight-alloy wheels measuring 19 inches at the front and 20 at the back, finished in Gold Bronze and wrapped in track tyres.
All in all, the weight-saving measures cut a total of 20kg off the kerb weight of the M3 Competition xDrive, achieving an unladen mass of 1,840kg.
The ultimate driving experience
The new M3’s cabin receives a wealth of additions in an effort to create the ultimate driving experience.
From the factory, the CS ships with electric and heated M Carbon buckets seats wrapped in Merino leather with a black/red colour scheme, M seat belts, inscribed door sill plates, an M Alcantara steering wheel, CFRP shifter paddles, and carbon fibre trim finishes.
Also fitted is the M Drive Professional system which brings the M Traction Control programme with ten stages of grip tuning, alongside the already-equipped M Drift Analyser and M Laptimer.
Owners are additionally treated with a 12.3-inch entertainment centre and 14.9-inch driver’s display housed behind a single curved glass panel, comfort access, two-zone climate control, a Harman Kardon stereo, automatic boot lid operation, park distance control, front collision warning, lane departure warning, speed limit info, and the driving assistant and parking assistant packages.
BMW M3 CS
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