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With its limited-edition M3 and M4 CS, BMW aims for the Goldilocks zone

BMW will reportedly offer a similarly enhanced M3 CS alongside its M4 CS

Stephen Edelstein
Miles Branman
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BMW hasn’t had the best luck with its current-generation M4. The standard car is unbelievably capable, but it’s been criticized for being a bit sterile. The limited-edition M4 GTS was a bit more lively, but its tiny production run and six-figure price tag made it a bit irrelevant. Now, BMW is trying again.

Debuting at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show, the BMW M4 CS is meant to split the difference between the standard M4 and the GTS. To do that, BMW basically took the Competition Package that already provides some performance enhancements to the standard M4, and added a bit more power.

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BimmerToday (as noted by Road and Track) also reports that not only will BMW offer an M4 of its CS, but an M3 variant as well. Though this is excellent news for sport sedan enthusiasts, Bimmer fans will note that the CS name stands for “coupe sport,” which stands at odds with the M3’s four-door design. This wouldn’t be the first time BMW has ignored nomenclature, but we’ll let this slide before faster M cars is only ever a good thing.

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Like all M3/M4 variants, the CS uses a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged inline-six. The CS version produces 454 horsepower, or 10 more than the standard M3/M4 with the Competition Package. A seven-speed dual-clutch automated transmission is the only option, although lesser versions of the M cars are available with a six-speed manual.

BMW says the M4 CS will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, and the car’s electronic limiter had been raised to allow a top speed of 174 mph. The M4 also lapped Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife in a claimed 7 minutes, 38 seconds. That’s right between the 7:52 of a non-Competition Package base M4, and the 7:27.8 of the M4 GTS.

It’s expected the M3 CS will have similar performance stats, but there’s something even more exciting to note: The M3 CS will be the most powerful production M3 ever made. Due to the existence of the M4 GTS, the same can’t be said for the M4 CS.

The suspension largely carries over from the Competition Package, but BMW says it tuned the car’s various electronic systems to give the CS a unique feel. Those systems include adaptive suspension, BMW’s Active M Differential rear diff, and the stability control which, because this is a BMW M car, gets an M Dynamic mode meant to allow more aggressive driving.

The exterior is similar to the standard M3 and M4, which already looks like it escaped from a tuner shop. The CS gets a model-specific front splitter, plus a rear diffuser and OLED taillights from the M4 GTS model. The 19-inch alloy wheels are exclusive to the CS.

The BMW M4 CS arrives in United States dealerships next year, with pricing to be announced closer to launch. It’s unclear if the M3 CS will go on sale at the same time or shortly after. Both will be limited-edition models, but hopefully the production run will be bigger than the 700 M4 GTS copies BMW built.

Update: Added new report that BMW will offer an M3 CS in addition to the planned M4 CS. 

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Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
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