► New M3 CS Touring driven on road and track
► Gains 19bhp and chassis mods, loses 15kg
► £30k+ more than Competition at £121,600
The BMW M3 CS Touring is a flex. Not content with building one of the greatest fast estates of all time in the M3 Competition Touring, BMW’s M division has come back and had a go at making it even better. Called the M3 CS Touring, it’s the first time an M car in estate form has worn the Competition Sport badge and benefits from much the same improvements as the saloon.
That means more power, added carbon bits, chassis and drivetrain tweaks galore, as well as a little extra noise and, naturally, less weight. In truth, the dearth of fast wagons currently on the market means it only has its Competition sibling to beat – and it’s a high benchmark that – let’s not forget – comes in at over £30k less than the CS. Keep reading to find out how it gets on.
At a glance
Pros: Brutal acceleration, wonderful balance and grip, feels exciting
Cons: Over a 30% increase in price over the already brilliant M3 Comp Touring
What’s new?
For starters, the CS looks the part. While still treading the fine line between OTT and aggressive, BMW has added a wealth of carbon fibre reinforced plastic. The bonnet, front splitter, air intakes, side-mirror caps and rear diffuser are made from CFRP, while inside the shift paddles, trim strips, centre console and M bucket seats all get the same treatment. Pop the bonnet and you’ll spot the M strut braces (giving body rigidity), while hidden in the engine bay are engine mounts with stiffer spring rates.
Meanwhile, four exterior paint options are on offer – British Racing Green, Laguna Seca Blue, Frozen Solid White and Black Sapphire metallic – plus the model badging, frameless M kidney grille and rear spoiler all get a red contour. Forged M light-alloy wheels are standard (275/35 ZR19 at the front, 285/30 ZR20 at the rear) and available with a double-spoke design in either matte gold bronze or black. LED icon headlights that glow yellow are another welcome touch.
All of the above means a 15kg reduction in weight, meaning the M3 CS Touring comes in at 1,850kg DIN. Not exactly featherweight. However, to keep the power-to-weight looking healthy, BMW has whacked the turbo boost up and treated the engine to a remap for an additional 19bhp. There’s more noise, too. Thank the M-specific exhaust system with a titanium rear silencer for that.
Beyond this point, BMW has been a little vague with exactly what it’s done to improve the M3 CS Touring, but there’s clearly been a focus on improved track and fast road manners.
According to those at M division, the ‘M3 CS Touring has benefitted from a number of tweaks over the standard car and has been optimised for more track useability in terms of suspension, damping, rear axle lock and 4WD.’ That includes stiffening the spring rates up by 7% and 11% front and rear respectively, the use of new auxiliary springs and, finally, revised applications for the electronic damper, steering and rear diff.
What are the specs?
Not vastly different to the M3 Competition Touring. Propulsion comes from the S58 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six, developing 542bhp and 479lb ft of torque and managing 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds. 0-124mph, meanwhile, takes 11.7 seconds. The eight-speed ZF automatic transmission remains and helps the M3 CS Touring climb to a top speed of 186mph.
Happily, general passenger space remains unchanged from the M3 Competition Touring, while the boot also comes in with identical measurements of 500 litres with rear seats in place, 1,510 litres with them folded down.
How does it drive?
We spent most of our time driving the M3 CS Touring on track and one of the first things that caught our attention as we left the pitlane at Thruxton was the lightness of the steering – even in its ‘heaviest’ setting. It’s so light that steering with one hand, even one finger, feels possible. Sadly, that does take away of chink of confidence and feeling through the front wheels on circuit, yet that’s where the negatives end.
Aside from this, the M3 CS Touring is without doubt the finest estate car we’ve ever had the pleasure to throw around a circuit. For starters, the engine is phenomenal. Short-shifting feels like a cheat code owing to the acres of torque on offer, while exploratory missions higher up the rev range yield the sort of excitement you’d hope for from an M car.
The additional volume from the new exhaust helps, but the frenzied roll upwards from the digital speedo confirms what your body is telling you. Coming up to the final chicane after the closest thing that Thruxton has to a straight, the speedo is showing 150mph – just 5mph off a BMW 3-Series BTCC car in qually spec with slick tyres and half-a-tonne less mass to lug around.
Brake hard into the two slower sections of Thruxton and there’s movement from the rear – it wants to rotate – yet its easily controllable. Optional carbon ceramic brakes (about £9k) are pricey and could be a little more linear, but the stopping power is mighty. Bleed off the left-hand pedal, ride over the kerb and let the car settle, there’s an enthusiasm, an ‘up on its toes’ feel to the attitude of the CS Touring that just gives you the confidence and impetus to squeeze more and more out of it.
It’s a surprisingly delicate car that seldom feels its weight on track, with only the odd moment of lateral weight shifting over the outside wheels giving any nod to the hefty 1.8 tonne+ kerbweight. Indeed, like most bigger cars it probably pays to drive it a touch under the limit when it comes to making sheer progress, yet there’s fun to be had over the limit, too.
The BMW M1 and M2 buttons allow for RWD mode to be engaged in an instant, at which point the inherent balance of the car is clearly on show. It needs a bit of persuasion owing to the grip on optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres at the rear end, but those sideways moments are inherently balanced and brilliant fun.
Beware, however, the pointy setup means there’s a lively rear end and potential to snap when not treated with caution. Nothing abnormal for a 542bhp performance car, but the M3 CS Touring’s initial approachability may lull you into feeling of false security if you ignore the laws of physics and take liberties with the weight transfer.
However, such talents on circuit could easily be undone should the M3 CS Touring not work on road. Unlike the M4 CS, it has practicality in its DNA – it simply needs to work as a road car to stand any chance of justifying the extra cash. The good news is that it does.
The M3 Competition Touring always had a firm ride that just about stopped short of harming its daily credentials. Despite the stiffer spring rates the M3 CS Touring pulls off the same trick. Low-speed bumps are most definitely communicated to the cabin, but they’re well-damped and not bouncy, while high speed imperfections actually feel a touch less intrusive than the regular car. It’s a more focused, more aggressive take on set-up, but it’s one that pays off.
On the road, the M3 CS Touring’s light steering suddenly makes a little more sense. It gives the whole car a greater feeling of lightness and response. I could still do with more weight, but feels better tuned for road-driving. Meanwhile, the seating position – as it is in the Competition – is sublime. Low with huge adjustment and a great feeling of being exactly where you want to be.
The extra rasp of the exhaust is even more noticeable (especially on start-up) and the response from the loud pedal is crisp and immediate. There’s potentially a little less flexibility from the engine at lower revs than the Competition provides yet if anything it’s an excuse to rattle through the eight-speed box. Having driven an early M4 on road and track back in 2020, this latest version of the ZF box (controversial in its replacement of the DCT) is much more convincing in its sporting intentions.
What’s it like inside?
Save for the standard-fit three-spoke, flat-bottomed M alcantara steering wheel and M carbon bucket seats, the interior of the M3 CS Touring differs little from the Competition – which is no bad thing. It’s a great place to spend time and while we’d like to see more physical buttons, BMW’s infotainment system is second-to-none.
Verdict
BMW has undoubtedly made one of its best fast estates of all-time with the M3 CS Touring. It takes the already world-beating M3 Competition Touring and comes back with a multitude of tweaks and a setup that clearly has been honed over a many, many hours of development on road and track.
Is it worth the extra £35k or so, however? That all comes down to how much time you plan to spend on track. If it’s lots then, yes, absolutely – it’s worth the cash. If not – like most customers we suspect – then it’s hard to argue that the regular M3 Competition Touring is significantly less appealing as a road car.
