BMW M3 CS Confirmed: Here's All You Need To Know

We knew it was coming, and now BMW has spilled the beans on the more powerful, faster BMW M3 CS, which will be limited to just 1200 cars worldwide.

Less than 100 will come to the UK, although final allocation numbers are not fixed. The twin-turbocharged straight-six coughs up an extra 28bhp and 37lb ft versus the regular M3, pushing power to a handsome 453bhp and torque to 443lb ft of solid Munich beef.

BMW says it’s some 110lb lighter than the normal M3 thanks to carbonfibre-reinforced plastic body panels, which, in Britain, because we’re a bit ridiculous and mix our metric and imperial systems, is 50kg.

That means, of course, that it’s faster. The 62mph benchmark drops in just 3.7 seconds(!) while top speed is limited to 174mph. It’s faster off the line than the fastest supercars of just 10-15 years ago…

It will sound it, too, thanks to revised M Sport exhaust tuning, which may be what was making the good noises in the video we posted a couple of weeks ago. It’s a bespoke acoustic setup for the CS.

The chassis is, for the most part, the same as the M3 with Competition Package, but with some mods to give even more stiffness where it counts. Fnar. The links of the rear five-link setup are lightweight forged aluminium, as are the wheel carriers.

Inside the plush but schpordy leather and Alcantara interior is a red starter button, because racecar, but otherwise the cabin is relatively stripped out to help save weight. The seats are lightweight M units, but it retains climate control, sat-nav and a Harman Kardon sound system. Not exactly Spartan, then.

It’s auto-only, as you knew it would be, which means silky shifts from a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box and no interruption to the power flowing to the rear wheels.

Speaking of the wheels, these are forged light-alloy baubles designed to look like those on the M4s racing in the DTM championship. Despite measuring 20 inches by 10 at the back and 19 by nine at the front, they weigh just 10kg and 8.6kg per wheel.

Wrapping them lovingly are Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, in 265/35/R19 and 285/30R20 fitments. Mmmm, sticky.

Ceramic brake discs with six-piston calipers are optional, should you wish to hit track days hard, but the M3 CS already comes with ‘M compound’ brakes as standard. They are vastly lighter than iron equivalents, says BMW, reducing unsprung mass and sharpening the handling.

At the back, a boot lip spoiler adds a measurable reduction in rear-end lift, stabilising the car around fast corners on circuits. Expect brisk Nurburgring lap times to follow.

UPDATE: Prices? Well, we’ve confirmed them and you’re looking at £86,630. Plus options. That’s a £25,000 increase over the M3 with Competition Pack…