BMW M3 CS Touring

FIRST DRIVE Is BMW's latest performance estate really a car that can do it all? We try the M3 CS on road and track to find out

- By Alex Ingram, [e-mail]

THIS is the BMW M3 CS Touring: a car which shows that M division isn't shy in giving its more practically minded customers the chance to access the CS experience. And if past CS models are anything to go by, they're in for a treat. From the previous generations of the M2 and M5, plus the current M3 saloon and M4 coupé, those two letters have come to represent the sweet spot in their respective M car ranges: more performance, more ability, but not really at the expense of comfort.

The CS takes an already intimidating-looking M3 and turns up the menace. That huge front grille has been opened up with fewer elements inside. The same goes for the intakes either side, flanked by an enlarged front splitter, which, like the sculpted bonnet, is made from carbon fibre.

Staggered alloy wheels (19 inches at the front, 20 inches at the rear) save 1kg per corner and wear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. At the back, the changes are rounded off by a carbon-fibre diffuser, CS badging plus a red stripe on the boot spoiler.

There are more changes to trim weight inside. The new carbon-fibre centre console loses a little storage compared with the standard car's, while the carbon-fibre bucket seats - usually an option on other M3 cars - are standard on the CS.

Those seats are still a bone of contention, because a hump in the base between your thighs can get in the way. Combined with a high dash line relative to the seating position, plus a steering wheel that some will find doesn't quite adjust low enough, means the driving position feels a bit compromised.