2024​ BMW​ M3​ CS​ Super​ Sedan​ Debuts​ With​ More​ Power,​ Less​ Weight

BMW​ has​ been​ making​ Clubsport​ models​ since​ the​ E9​ era​ to​ denote​ the​ next​ best​ thing​ after​ the​ CSL.​ After​ the​ previous-gen​ M3​ received​ the​ CS​ treatment​ in​ late​ 2017​ with​ more​ power​ and​ less​ weight,​ its​ successor​ is​ breaking​ cover​ today​ following​ the​ same​ recipe.​ Much​ like​ the​ F80​ model,​ it​ too​ is​ sold​ only​ with​ an​ automatic​ transmission,​ but​ there​ is​ a​ key​ difference.​ The​ new​ M3​ CS​ has​ xDrive​ (with​ selectable​ RWD)​ whereas​ its​ predecessor​ had​ RWD.

The​ engineers​ from​ BMW​ M​ have​ massaged​ the​ twin-turbo,​ 3.0-liter​ "S58"​ engine​ to​ unlock​ 543​ horsepower​ and​ perfectly​ match​ the​ RWD-only​ M4​ CSL.​ It's​ not​ the​ most​ potent​ inline-six​ in​ the​ company's​ history​ as​ the​ ultra-rare​ 3.0​ CSL​ is​ even​ stronger,​ at​ 553​ hp.​ The​ peak​ torque​ of​ 479​ pound-feet​ (650​ Newton-meters)​ is​ unchanged​ compared​ to​ the​ M3​ Competition​ xDrive​ upon​ which​ the​ CS​ is​ based.

Aside​ from​ packing​ an​ extra​ 40​ horses,​ the​ M3​ CS​ loses​ approximately​ 75​ pounds​ (34​ kilograms)​ courtesy​ of​ a​ carbon​ fiber-reinforced​ plastic​ diet.​ CFRP​ has​ been​ used​ by​ BMW​ for​ the​ hood,​ front​ splitter,​ air​ intakes,​ side​ mirror​ caps,​ rear​ diffuser,​ and​ trunk​ lid​ spoiler.​ The​ roof​ is​ also​ made​ from​ the​ same​ lightweight​ yet​ durable​ material,​ and​ so​ are​ the​ shift​ paddles​ on​ the​ inside​ where​ the​ center​ console​ and​ trim​ strips​ are​ CFRP​ as​ well.

The​ diet​ also​ comprises​ a​ titanium​ rear​ silencer​ and​ a​ pair​ of​ front​ bucket​ seats​ with​ a​ carbon​ shell.​ In​ addition,​ we're​ noticing​ the​ rear​ air​ vents​ and​ controls​ have​ been​ removed​ in​ a​ quest​ to​ shave​ off​ precious​ pounds.​ The​ M4​ CSL​ went​ a​ step​ further​ by​ doing​ away​ with​ the​ back​ seats,​ but​ that​ obviously​ wouldn’t​ have​ made​ sense​ on​ a​ four-door​ car.​ That​ said,​ it’s​ been​ done​ in​ recent​ years​ as​ Jaguar​ sold​ the​ wild​ XE​ SV​ Project​ 8​ in​ a​ two-seat​ configuration.​ Both​ the​ previous-gen​ M3​ CS​ and​ the​ larger​ M5​ CS​ had​ rear​ seats,​ although​ the​ latter​ did​ away​ with​ the​ bench​ to​ make​ room​ for​ two​ individual​ seats​ with​ greater​ lateral​ support.

Courtesy​ of​ the​ added​ oomph,​ the​ M3​ CS​ sprints​ to​ 60​ mph​ (96​ km/h)​ from​ a​ standstill​ in​ 3.2​ seconds​ or​ two-tenths​ of​ a​ second​ sooner​ than​ the​ Competition​ xDrive.​ The​ M​ Driver’s​ Package​ is​ included​ as​ standard​ to​ enable​ the​ speedy​ sedan​ to​ reach​ an​ electronically​ governed​ 188​ mph​ (303​ km/h).