The BMW M3 has long reigned over the sports sedan market as the best all-around package. However, the F80-generation M3 has faced fierce competition from the Mercedes-AMG C63 and Audi RS4 and no longer has the stranglehold it once did.
Eager to increase its appeal and ensure that it remains one of the best, BMW has offered the outgoing M3 in a range of guises, most notably the M3 CS.
Introduced late last year, the M3 CS is the hardcore version of the M3, but that’s not to say it is harsh and solely track-focused like some pumped-up variants of other vehicles. Instead, the modifications made to the M3 ensure that it remains comfortable enough to be driven on a daily basis but delivers the animalistic properties you want from a car with so much performance.
Compared to the standard F80 M3, the CS features an updated twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six delivering 454 hp and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. That’s a healthy 29 hp more than the regular car and 10 hp more than the M3 Performance Pack. This power increase, along with tweaks to the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, result in a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) time of 3.7 seconds and a 173 mph (280 km/h) top speed.
To see what the car is all about, Doug DeMuro jumped behind the wheel and came out very impressed. In fact, he says it is the best M3 ever and, considering the vehicle’s lineage, that’s saying something.