Lighter, stiffer, faster and even more agile, that’s the promise of the M3 CS Touring.
Carbon fibre replaces sheet metal for the bonnet, while the composite material is also used for the front splitter and air intakes, mirror caps and rear diffuser. M Carbon bucket seats are installed and there’s more carbon for shift paddles and interior trim. It all adds up to a weight saving of 20kg.
There’s a unique chassis tune for the CS with new settings for the DSC system, the adaptive M Suspension, and M Servotronic steering. Braking comes courtesy of M Ceramic discs and forged M light-alloy wheels are fitted, sized at 19-inches up front and 20-inches at the rear. The standard ‘track’ tyres are 275/35 ZR19 front and 285/30 ZR20 rear, with ‘sport’ or ‘ultra-track’ rubber on the options list. A front strut brace can also be specified for added torsional rigidity.
The three-liter, twin-turbo inline six engine builds on the M3 Competition’s performance, delivering an additional 20bhp for a grand total of 543bhp and 479lbft of torque. BMW’s M division says the motor adopts a number of elements from the racetrack including a rigid crankcase with a sleeve-free, closed-deck construction, a forged lightweight crankshaft and a cylinder head with a 3D-printed core. Weight-saving cylinder bores have a wire-arc sprayed iron coating to reduce friction. The cooling system and oil supply are also upgraded to handle the heat of track work, and there’s an M-specific switchable exhaust system with a titanium silencer.
The motor sits on new mounts with greater spring rates for a more rigid connection between engine and chassis. Drive is via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission, which comes with three different shift settings. Power goes to all four wheels, but drivers can switch to rear-drive only for smoky drifts and burnouts.
Engage launch control for maximum traction off the line and the M3 CS Touring will scorch from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and hit 124mph in 11.7 seconds. Top speed is limited to 186 mph.
Drivers can monitor their own performance with the built-in M Drift Analyser and M Laptimer – while carrying an entire pit crew and their gear.
