The BMW M3 CS is one of those rare and truly special cars that leaves an impression that lingers long after you step out. It’s also a feeling, at times, of disbelief: was it really, really, that good?
No matter what moment behind the wheel you think back to, and each moment does indeed stick with you, whichever crest or kink, all roads lead to ‘Yes’.
There is no CSL with the current 3 Series line-up, that’s now reserved for the M4, so the CS is the peak of the range – perhaps of the whole M crop.
The CS is a name steeped in history, one that changed the face of BMW to true sporting saloons. Giorgetto Giugiaro for Bertone designed the 3200CS in 1965, a juncture between the wallowy 503 and what would become known as the ‘Sharknose’ E9.
Bertone’s design was adapted into something far more angular into the 1970s and the CS was an inadvertent precursor to the M division. It soon won marquee races at home and abroad, not least at the ’Ring, and it later turned it into the iconic CSL when less became more. It was that, the white, red and blue 3.0 CSL, to which BMW paid tribute in 2022 to celebrate 50 years of the M division. Just 50 ‘Hommages’ were made, making this production-spec CS the closest mere mortals will get to a modern-day Batmobile.
Could get. Because even this is limited, to an officially unknown quantity, and just 100 were slated for the UK.
The CS is light with being officially Licht – 15kg less than the M3 Competition – and it matches that with a not inconsiderable 40bhp lift. At 550bhp, the CS is comfortably the most powerful 3 Series ever. At just under 3000rpm, there’s 479 lb ft of torque and it pulls and pulls that to 6000rpm without dropping a pound of it.
But it is far more nuanced than simply being a powerhouse or brutish, even with its supercar-fast 0-60mph of 3.4 seconds. A tenth sharper than the Competition.
It is hard to believe that it is still a near-5m four-door saloon, and like the best big cars it shrinks almost as soon as the wheels begin motion. It is instantly so easy to drive quickly that it feels almost wrong. An M car should be rewarding to drive quickly, not easy. But the M3 CS has the uncanny knack of doing both.
With every mile, every sweep and every single rasp of the exhaust, it is intoxicating.
The many visual details and intricacies distract the eye away from that contentious grille, too. A carbonfibre front splitter peeks out from the nose and channels air to the big gold wheels, yellow strips accent the lights and red piping comes and goes around various intakes. Strakes of black denote the extensive use of carbonfibre, for the roof, wing mirror caps, bonnet and wing.
Inside is a match for the exterior. The bespoke CS seats are better than the Competition’s and coverings of alcantara project that race-car-for-the-road feel. The stereo is pointless not because the interior is loud (it’s not and surprisingly serene) but because every metre is simply so absorbing. You don't want to think of anything but the joy of driving it.
It is hard to think of a quicker car for real world driving or one that is more satisfying. It simply turns in and holds and goes exactly where you want it. You’ll find your favourite road and run it over and over again and again.
The chassis is remarkable and somehow the ride is more versatile than a Competition’s, more forgiving but more responsive at the same time.
All this does come at a cost, though – and you won’t get one from your dealer any more, if you ever could. The premium over the xDrive M3 Competition was a strong £30k, and took it to Porsche 911 4S money of around £115,000.
Different cars, similar numbers; mainly in the saloon’s favour. And there is that disbelief again.
