As you're well aware, the G87 M2 Coupe is the fastest series-production compact automobile on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. The rear-wheel-drive bruiser needed 7:38.706 to cover the German circuit's entire length, namely 20.832 kilometers or 12.944 miles.
The most extreme M3 yet did it nearly 10 seconds faster, clocking a rather impressive 7:28.760 with development engineer Jorg Weidinger behind the steering wheel. Jorg is also the guy who broke the lap record for compacts in the G87. The M3 CS may be 7 seconds faster than the M3 Touring, but it's not the fastest car in its segment.
As it happens, the M4 CSL holds the record with 7 minutes 18 seconds to its name. The V8-powered Jaguar XE SV Project 8 splits the M4 CSL and M3 CS, boasting a lap time of 7 minutes 23 seconds. What is especially impressive about the M3 CS is that Sport Auto test driver Christian Gebhardt lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in the F90 M5 CS in 7 minutes 29 seconds, one second off the more compact and slightly lighter M3 CS.
The most powerful M5 of all time puts out 626 ponies and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm) from a twin-turbo V8 with a displacement of 4.4 liters. By comparison, the S58 engine in the M3 CS is a twin-turbocharged I6 that makes 542 horsepower and 479 pound-feet (650 Nm).
Although the next-generation M5 will be heavier than the F90, the switch to plug-in hybrid assistance will undoubtedly make a world of difference. It's also worth mentioning that BMW is bringing back the M5 Touring, the first M5 Touring after the V10-engined E61 series.
As far as the M3 is concerned, there's a Life Cycle Impulse on the horizon. Expected to drop in 2024 for the 2025 model year, the facelift boasts revised headlights and slightly more oomph. The Competition is reportedly getting 518 horsepower (up 15 from the 2024 model).
The current-gen M3 sedan comes in four distinct flavors: the manual-equipped M3, auto-only M3 Competition, M3 Competition xDrive, and M3 CS. Quite a bit lighter than the M3 Competition xDrive, the M3 CS tips the scales at 1,765 kilograms (make that 3,891 pounds).
Introduced with much pomp in January 2023, the most track-oriented M3 sedan entitled to wear a license plate launched with a starting price of $119,695 including the destination freight charge. It's a seriously expensive car, but then again, it's a seriously capable car as well.
In production since March 2023, the M3 CS is expected to number anything between 1,700 and 2,000 examples. With the G80 LCI scheduled to enter production in July 2024, there's no denying that BMW intends to build as many M3 CS vehicles as possible. Based on spy photos of a rather interesting prototype, the G81 LCI will receive the Competition Sport treatment in the near future.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News