New BMW M3 CS revealed, coming to South Africa later this year

BMW has whipped the covers off its vicious new M3 CS. Set to be built in limited numbers at the German marque's Munich plant from March 2023, this ultimate iteration of the G80 3-Series hits the asphalt with an impressive array of performance boosting modifications.

The headlining act is the same engine you find in the M4 CSL. Bolted in using specially designed mounts with stiffer spring rates, this mighty 3.0l six-cylinder twin-turbocharged motor is tuned to deliver 405kW at 6,250rpm and 650Nm of peak torque between 2,750 and 5,950rpm. BMW achieved this increase in power (an additional 30kW over that of the standard M3 powertrain) by dialling up the turbo boost pressure from 1.7 bar to 2.1 bar as well as making software tweaks to the engine management system.

Power is delivered via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic to the firm's M xDrive all-wheel drive system with three modes: 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD. An electronically controlled Active M limited-slip differential is fitted as standard. As to be expected, straight-line performance is impressive, with BMW claiming a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.4 seconds and, on the right road, a limited top speed of 302km/h.

Complementing this enviable shove is a chassis tweaked to deliver serious handling thrills through corners. Upgrades include bespoke front-end strut braces located inside the engine compartment, more aggressive geometry settings (cue lots of negative camber), model-specific axle kinematics and shock absorbers as well as a set of ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels to reduce unsprung mass. Staggered in size (19-inches up front, 20-inches at the rear), these Gold Bronze V-spoke beauties are shod with specially developed Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres measuring 275/35 at the front and 285/30 at the rear. Behind them reside M Carbon ceramic brakes whose calipers are available in gold or red.

The adaptive damping of the M3 Competition remains, albeit with a model-specific setup. Likewise BMW has also extensively remapped the electromechanical M Servotronic power steering to better suit the car's increased power and handling capabilities. The standard M Traction Control sports 10 stages of intervention, allowing drivers to easily customise it to suit realtime driving conditions, on everyday roads or around a weekend racetrack. 

In addition to its powertrain and chassis upgrades, the M3 CS features a revised exterior festooned with lots of gravity-cheating carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CRFP) body panels designed to keep kerb weight to a minimum. In addition to the roof skin, the car's bonnet, front splitter, front air intakes, exterior mirror caps, rear diffuser and rear spoiler are all hewn from this ultra-rigid and lightweight material. These components help contribute towards a 20kg reduction in weight over that of the standard M3 Competition. 

Other tasty additions to stir your senses include a sports exhaust system with a titanium rear silencer, front kidney grille with red detailing and a set of BMW Laserlight headlamps that sport yellow-tinted low beams (a subtle nod to the firm's GT racing cars).

Standard interior highlights come in the form of front M Carbon bucket seats with illuminated model badging below the head restraints, a BMW M Curved Display with M Specific readouts, CRFP centre console and a small-diameter sports steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara. Included in the M Drive Professional system is an M Drift Analyser and M Laptimer for evaluating and recording driving skills and performance at the track. 

According to BMW SA, the new M3 CS will reach our shores in limited numbers during the third quarter of 2023. Pricing will be announced closer to that time so watch this space.