We don't get the M3 Touring in America, which is a shame. Because the current 3 Series and M3 wagons have not been homologated for the United States, the hotter M3 CS Touring isn't coming here either. The "CS" moniker has been around for many decades, but this is the first time we see it on a long-roof model.
The letters initially stood for Coupe Sport before becoming Competition Sport, now representing a stop gap between the normal cars and the hardest-core CSL models. The M3 CS Touring has everything you like about the M3 CS Sedan and M4 CS Coupe, but in a more practical wagon format. Like its siblings, the versatile M car comes exclusively with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW dials the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six to 543 horsepower, extracting 20 hp over the regular M3 estate. The S58 engine’s torque remains unchanged, at 479 lb-ft (650 Nm). And yes, the pure rear-wheel-drive mode is still there for tail-happy shenanigans.
Modern CS models shave off weight by making extensive use of carbon fiber fitted as standard. The M3 CS Touring is no exception, but since it’s not a hardcore CSL variant, the diet is not as draconian. The M engineers were able to delete 33 pounds (15 kilograms), resulting in a curb weight of 4,078 lbs (1,850 kg). That makes it a whopping 1,378 lbs (625 kg) lighter than big-brother M5 Touring and its intricate V-8 plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The meaner M3 wagon takes three and a half seconds to hit 62 mph (100 km/h), making it a tenth of a second quicker than the standard model and the M5 Touring. Top speed is electronically capped at 186 mph (300 km/h), or 12 mph (20 km/h) higher than the standard M3 Touring, and only slightly behind its bigger brother.
Aside from having a carbon fiber body kit, the M3 CS Touring gets an angrier face and yellow daytime running lights. The 19-inch front and 20-inch forged wheels are standard, and you can have them in gold bronze or black, both with a matte finish. Even though it sits at the top of the food chain, the special edition still doesn’t have carbon-ceramic brakes as standard. BMW wants more money for this upgrade, or you can just stick to the compound brakes.
While a regular M3 Touring comes in all sorts of colors, normal and Individual, BMW limits your choices for the CS to just four: British Racing Green, Laguna Seca Blue, Sapphire Black, and Frozen Solid White. All cars get a glossy black roof and rear spoiler, with the latter also featuring a red surround to go along with the red contour of kidney grille and badging. Much like the M5 Touring, there is no carbon fiber roof option for its little brother, be it the regular model or this spicy CS.
Inside, that weight loss I mentioned was due partially to bucket seats with carbon shells. These body-hugging front seats are optional on a regular M3 Touring, but standard on the CS. Even the shift paddles hare received the carbon treatment, as did some of the interior trim strips and parts of the center console.
BMW doesn't say how many cars it will make, but we do know the M4 CS is capped at 1,700 units. The M3 CS before it was limited to fewer than 2,000 cars, so the wagon should play in the same ballpark. At home in Germany, which the company says it will be the car’s biggest market, pricing kicks off at €152,900 ($159,000). That’s actually €6,900 ($7,200) more than a base M5 Touring in Deutschland.
Deliveries to customers from Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and other regions are scheduled to commence in March. Later this year, BMW will launch another Competition Sport model–the M2 CS. And unlike the CS Touring, we expect this one to come Stateside.
2025 BMW M3 CS Touring
Source: BMW
