2018 BMW M3 CS Review: Photo Gallery
CARS.COM — BMW has added lightness to the 2018 M3 with its new, limited-edition CS version. The manufacturer announced that approximately 1,200 of the cars will be sold worldwide, with only an estimated 550 available in the U.S.
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Shop the 2018 BMW M3 near you
To turn the M3 into the lighter M3 CS, the roof, hood, front splitter, rear decklid spoiler and other body parts are made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. This knocks the weight down by 110 pounds, according to BMW, with the added benefit of lowering the car’s center of gravity. BMW says these changes make the car quicker and better-handling, and basic physics agrees.
Those changes are on top of tweaks to the twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. Those add 28 horsepower and 37 pounds-feet of torque over a stock M3 for ratings of 453 hp and 443 pounds-feet. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with its own dedicated oil cooler to keep it functioning during … uh, spirited driving. (Personally, I feel that if you buy one of these and don’t take it to a track regularly, you should be thrown in jail.)
Inside, there are generous helpings of Alcantara suede and leather in an M3 CS-exclusive, two-tone Silverstone-and-black combination. Being lighter didn’t mean gutting the interior of creature comforts, however: There’s still air conditioning, a navigation system and even a premium Harman Kardon stereo system. BMW claims it considered adding a roll cage but skipped it “in the interests of everyday practicality.”
Check out photos of the 2018 BMW M3 CS above and start saving. While pricing hasn’t been released yet, it surely won’t be cheap.
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