Photo: Germany’s Finest on Instagram
The M3 CS isn’t on its first rodeo. BMW’s go-faster division and the 3 Series have a history. Before the G80 received this designation, the F80 was limited to 1,200 examples of the M3 CS. But as opposed to its predecessor, the G80-gen M3 is a very different car in CS flavor.
Although the Bavarian automaker hasn’t offered any indications of a CS-ified station wagon, pixel artist Germany’s Finest has imagined one for all the cool dads and moms out there. Pictured in a nice chalkish gray hue, the rendering adds to the visual drama with the help of bronze-finish wheels over beefy M-branded calipers in red. Instead of metal, the carbon-fiber roof is reassuringly black to match the front lip, side skirts, and rear aerodynamic diffuser which accommodates no fewer than four finishers.
The black thingies on the hood further the visual drama, along with the red outline of the front grille. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure, but it’s pretty darn special for a family car. As a body style, the compact executive wagon also has that certain something over the equivalent crossover. In terms of handling dynamics, sitting closer to the ground also helps a lot.
Switching over to the series-production sedan, the M3 CS is – in essence – an M3 Competition xDrive with some goodies from the M4 CSL. It’s the ultimate expression of the M3 to date, although certain enthusiasts prefer the purity of the M3 CSL from a few eons ago. Even that variant of the M3 isn’t exactly pure, for it features the SMG II six-speed automated manual that doesn’t live up to the engagement of a three-pedal gearbox.
The M3 CS is exclusively offered with an eight-speed automatic of the torque-converter variety from the best name in the business. That ZF 8P channels the six-cylinder engine’s resources to all four wheels by default thanks to M xDrive. The M in M xDrive also means that rear-wheel-drive mode can be engaged at the simple press of a button for extra hoonery.
Care to guess how much the Munich-based automaker wants for the Competition Sport? Make that $118,700 sans destination in the United States, a figure that slots it above the mid-size M5. Also worthy of note, it’s a dramatic increase over the $82k of the M3 Competition xDrive.
Quite a bit lighter than the M3 Competition xDrive, the M3 CS develops the same kind of torque at the crankshaft: 479 pound-feet or 650 Nm if you prefer the metric system. In terms of peak horsepower, make that 543 versus 503 force-fed horsepower (550 compared to 510 metric ponies).
BMW says that 3.4 seconds are needed to reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in ideal conditions, but we all know that BMW underrates this figure to keep the competition on its toes.
The black thingies on the hood further the visual drama, along with the red outline of the front grille. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure, but it’s pretty darn special for a family car. As a body style, the compact executive wagon also has that certain something over the equivalent crossover. In terms of handling dynamics, sitting closer to the ground also helps a lot.
Switching over to the series-production sedan, the M3 CS is – in essence – an M3 Competition xDrive with some goodies from the M4 CSL. It’s the ultimate expression of the M3 to date, although certain enthusiasts prefer the purity of the M3 CSL from a few eons ago. Even that variant of the M3 isn’t exactly pure, for it features the SMG II six-speed automated manual that doesn’t live up to the engagement of a three-pedal gearbox.
The M3 CS is exclusively offered with an eight-speed automatic of the torque-converter variety from the best name in the business. That ZF 8P channels the six-cylinder engine’s resources to all four wheels by default thanks to M xDrive. The M in M xDrive also means that rear-wheel-drive mode can be engaged at the simple press of a button for extra hoonery.
Care to guess how much the Munich-based automaker wants for the Competition Sport? Make that $118,700 sans destination in the United States, a figure that slots it above the mid-size M5. Also worthy of note, it’s a dramatic increase over the $82k of the M3 Competition xDrive.
Quite a bit lighter than the M3 Competition xDrive, the M3 CS develops the same kind of torque at the crankshaft: 479 pound-feet or 650 Nm if you prefer the metric system. In terms of peak horsepower, make that 543 versus 503 force-fed horsepower (550 compared to 510 metric ponies).
BMW says that 3.4 seconds are needed to reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in ideal conditions, but we all know that BMW underrates this figure to keep the competition on its toes.
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