BMW M3 CS

FIRST DRIVE Sharply focused super-saloon channels the spirit of the excellent M5 CS

- Steve Fowler

 

AS sure as night follows day, when a A isn't far behind. The new M3 is the latest M car to get the CS treatment, with an increase in power of 39bhp over the M3 Competition, numerous chassis tweaks, a stringent weight-saving programme and four-wheel drive all designed to make it more focused.

Clearly with an eye on the brilliantly received M5 CS, rather than the M4 CSL with its marginally less-enthusiastic reception, BMW M's head of development Dirk Häcker told us, "I think the M3 CS is the little brother of the M5 CS. We wanted a car that offered something more sporting and with more performance than the [M3] Competition."

Sporting means different things to different people, so what's Häcker's definition? "A little more direct," he said. "The CS also comes with a different tyre, a stiffer chassis, also with drivability of the engine power, with higher performance in lateral acceleration, lap time and so on. So that is the whole package, but also drivable on normal public roads - it's still a street-legal car." 

And that is the most impressive thing about the M3 CS: it's so usable. This is a more 'focused' car - don't call it hardcore - but it's still a 3 Series with a proper rear bench for three and a decent-sized boot.