After a major leak of images on the web, the BMW M3 CS is officially presented. On the program, 550 hp for the six-cylinder engine associated with all-wheel drive and a specific look, close to the M4 CSL coupe.
After a leak of images a few days before its first official release, the BMW M3 CS reveals its official photos and its technical characteristics. As expected, the sports sedan partly takes up the recipe of the M4 CSL coupe with a pumped-up engine, a specific look and a limited number of copies.
After the M4 CSL, radical and lighter by 100 kg compared to a Competition variant, it is the M3 sedan which receives its CS version, for Competition Sport. Like the previous generation, the M3 “G80” is therefore entitled to this even sportier and more exclusive version, even if the M4 CSL retains the prize for the moment with its 1,000 copies for the whole world and its 178,000 € per unit in France.
more civilized
The M3 CS is more civilized and usable on a daily basis since it retains its rear seat and has a Harman Kardon audio system. Unlike the M4 CSL, it is entitled to the latest generation iDrive 9 large screen. On the other hand, it takes from the coupé the yellow Laser headlights, the bonnet and the carbon roof, or even the bucket seats with carbon backrests. A material that is also found on the central console, the thin rear spoiler or the front blade. Despite the intensive use of carbon, the M3 CS is “only” 20 kg lighter than an M3 Competition equipped with xDrive all-wheel drive. The advertised weight is 1,765 kilos.
The M3 CS comes in just four colors: Signal Green, Brooklyn Gray, Black Sapphire and the exclusive Frozen Pure White hue. It stands out with its touches of red (badges, grille edges, The model is fitted with 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear, in a bronze or matte black finish. They are fitted with Pilot Sport tires Cup 2 specific, while M Carbon brakes in carbon ceramic can be offered as an option, replacing the M brakes with brake calipers painted in red or black.
550 hp and all-wheel drive
As leaked internal documents already announced last December, the M3 CS gains a handful of horsepower compared to the classic M3 sedan. The six-cylinder 3.0 biturbo climbs to 550 hp like the M4 CSL, or 40 hp more than the M3 Competition. To get all that power through, the CS uses adaptive M xDrive all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Thanks to the revised engine power and the all-wheel drive, the 0 to 100 km/h is down to 3.4 seconds, compared to 3.7 s for the M4 CSL coupé, only offered in rear-wheel drive. Top speed is limited to 302 km/h.
The BMW M3 CS is, like the M4 CSL, produced in limited numbers. It will be manufactured at the BMW plant in Munich, Germany, from March 2023. Its soft launch will begin the same month depending on the brand, and will take place until February 2024. Only 1,800 units are planned to supply the worldwide, including 73 copies for France. The base rate is set at €157,000, excluding options and penalties. This has now increased to a maximum of €50,000 since January 1, 2023. It is therefore €52,000 more than the M3 Competition (or €48,000 more than the M3 Competition xDrive).
Photo: BMW.
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