- The 2027 BMW M3 CS Handschalter is the lightest within the lineup, weighing 75 lbs lower than the usual M3.
- Unique to North America, the three-pedal sports activities sedan prices $108,450.
- Restricted manufacturing begins in July.
BMW is about to name time on the current-generation 3 Sequence. Having already launched the totally electrical i3, Munich is barely months away from unveiling its combustion-engine counterpart later this yr. For fanatics, this implies the M3 “G80” just isn’t lengthy for this world. However earlier than the sports activities sedan drives off into the proverbial sundown, the M division is sneaking in a limited-run finale.
For 2027, BMW dusts off the M3 CS with a six-speed twist. Not like the earlier Competitors Sport particular version, which was bought completely with an computerized transmission, the brand new hardcore M3 is accessible solely with a clutch pedal. The swan track carries the “Handschalter” suffix, German for “hand shift,” a reputation beforehand used for an additional epilogue: the three-pedal Z4 M40i Handschalter.
It is vital to make a transparent distinction between the 2 M3 CS fashions. Whereas the earlier one launched in early 2023 was based mostly on the range-topping M3 Competitors xDrive, its successor makes use of the entry-level, rear-wheel-drive model as its basis. Consequently, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine has 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, slightly than the complete 543 hp and 479 lb-ft of the all-paw M3 CS earlier than it.
Picture by: BMW
The Lightest BMW M3 Cash Can Purchase
The primary benefit over a base M3 is a complete weight loss program that sheds practically 75 kilos. BMW makes better use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, combining the CFRP method with a titanium muffler, solid wheels, and carbon bucket seats. Whereas this stuff are all normal and account for about 42 kilos of financial savings, reaching the claimed whole requires choosing the carbon-ceramic brakes, which take away an extra 31.5 kilos.
A precise curb weight determine just isn’t accessible, however simple arithmetic suggests the brand new M3 CS ideas the scales at round 3,765 lbs. Even so, it stays considerably heavier than the previous-generation mannequin launched in 2018, which featured a seven-speed dual-clutch computerized transmission. The “F80” M3 CS was roughly 270 lbs lighter, although it lacked a guide gearbox.
Apart from the guide swap and weight discount, the ultimate model of the “G80” borrows the shock absorbers from the M4 CSL. Extra suspension tweaks, together with new springs and a revised rear axle hyperlink, convey the four-door sports activities automotive nearer to the street by about six millimeters in contrast with a base M3. For an additional $1,100, BMW additionally provides an M-specific entrance strut brace to sharpen dealing with.
BMW claims the brand new M3 CS with a guide takes 4.1 seconds to succeed in 60 mph, which does not make it any faster than a base M3. Flat out, it’ll attain 180 mph due to the usual M Driver’s Bundle.
Picture by: BMW
The 2027 BMW M3 CS Is A $108,450 Finale
The choices record consists of two retro-flavored Particular person colours, priced at $4,500 every: Techno Violet and Imola Crimson. As normal, the M3 CS is accessible in Black Sapphire or Isle of Man Inexperienced. Earlier than any choices are added, the ultimate M3 begins at $108,450, together with vacation spot and dealing with, an almost $28,000 premium over a base M3.
It will likely be provided in very restricted numbers, completely in the USA and Canada, with manufacturing beginning in July and first deliveries deliberate for this fall.
Though the sixth-generation M3 is nearing retirement, BMW has already confirmed not one however two future M3 fashions. A fully electric variant will launch subsequent yr, adopted by one other inline-six mannequin later this decade, probably as early as 2028.
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Supply: BMW
Motor1’s Take: In a couple of years, we might look again on the BMW M3 CS Handschalter and understand it was a a lot larger deal than simply the ultimate chapter of the “G80” period. If studies are correct, the following combustion-powered M3 (“G84”) will probably be bought completely with an computerized transmission. Not solely that, however it might additionally come strictly with all-wheel drive.
If the rumors show right, we’re witnessing the tip of an period: the final guide and pure rear-wheel-drive M3. The stick shift will seemingly proceed till the tip of the last decade within the M2 and M4, however the odds are slim that the sedan ever will get the six-speed remedy once more.
