The BMW M division celebrates record global sales for 2022 by delivering 177,257 vehicles, which is an 8.4 percent increase over last year. To keep the good times rolling, the department has new models on the way for 2023. The first of them on the way is the M3 CS debuting the last weekend in January at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The event is also the competition debut for the BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh race car.
Alleged specs for the M3 CS leaked out in December 2022. The info indicates the sedan shares a powerplant with the M4 CSL meaning there is a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six making 543 horsepower (404 kilowatts) and 479 pound-feet (649 Newton-meters) of torque under the hood.
Gallery: BMW M3 CS Spy Photos
Where the M4 CSL is rear-wheel drive, the M3 CS allegedly comes with all-wheel drive. The transmission is reportedly an automatic gearbox.
Based on spy shots (above), the M3 CS gains a more aggressive front fascia with larger openings. A tiny spoiler attaches to the trunk lid. The rear includes a boxy diffuser and four, circular exhaust pipes.
M3 CS production reportedly begins in March 2023. BMW would allegedly only build the model through February 2024, so there's not long for customers to get one.
Beyond the hotter M3, BMW will introduce the refreshed BMW X5 M and X6 M this spring. It will also launch the i7 M70 electric sedan in 2023.
"The best-selling BMW M automobile of 2022 is the all-electric BMW i4 M50," said Timo Resch, Head of Customer, Brand, and Sales at BMW M GmbH. "For us, this is a clear signal that the unique M feeling has arrived in the world of electrified vehicles."
As a whole, BMW delivered 2,100,692 vehicles worldwide in 2022, which was down 5.1 percent from the previous year. The automaker moved 372,956 hybrid and electric models, which was 35.6 percent more than in 2021.
