The 2024 BMW M3 CS Is Both Painfully Fast And Frustratingly Rare
BMW has announced the latest in their CS series of performance-tuned track thoroughbreds. The 2024 M3 CS will begin construction at BMW's Munich plant in March 2023.
Per BMW, CS stands for "Competition Sport" (it used to stand for "Coupe Sport" until BMW's M class drifted into non-coupe models) and the company is serious about cars sporting those letters earning that title. M-class Beemers are already specced up, performance-focused versions of BMW street cars and much beloved by motorheads on that basis. CS models are in a different league, upgraded in terms of performance, engineering, price, and exclusivity.
The 2024 M3 CS won't be changing that formula. While BMW has yet to release intended production numbers, previous CS models have been ruthlessly limited. AutoEvolution reports BMW restricted its run of 2022's M5 CS to just 1,000 models, while Forbes notes the 2021 M2 CS got only 2,200 cars on the road.
In short, the upcoming M3 CS is a serious performance machine with seriously limited accessibility. With an eyewatering MSRP of $118,700 (plus $995 for delivery, services, and sundry costs) only the most committed and well-heeled gearheads will lay hands on Bavaria's latest beast. Here are the details.
Purist performance with road-ready comforts
The 2024 BMW M3 CS is committed to delivering a driver experience improved in every way from the already excellent (if hard to come by) M3 original. The M3 CS starts with the plant, tuning the 3.0 liter I6 on the M3 tightly enough to find 40 extra horsepower compared to the M3 Competition. That's 534 proud Bavarian horses on the hoof. That and a full-body refit slimming the car down by 75 pounds sets the M3 CS up to blast from 0 to 60 in just 3.2 seconds, with a top speed of 188 mph.
Just as importantly for the thinking gearhead, the M3 CS will sport massive torque with the technology to use it. BMW promises 479 lb-ft of torque, delivered to the pavement at maximum efficiency with electrically-controlled 4WD and a cutting-edge 8-speed Steptronic gearbox. The M3 CS also prioritizes custom performance: the driver will be able to choose between a road-ready default 4WD, a track-ready rebalanced 4WD that throws more power to the back, and an old-school 2WD that ditches stability control and other driver aids.
All in all, BMW promises that the 2024 M3 CS will be a proud inheritor of the CS badge, a true thoroughbred ready to blast around a track or eat up road miles with equal aplomb. That said, for drivers excited to give one a try, stand by with credit card ready – BMW sharply limits the production numbers of its CS models and has not yet announced how many M3 CS models it plans to unleash upon the world.