The last of the current BMW M3s will be this high-performance 2027 M3 CS Handschalter. The term Handschalter means manual transmission.It’s 75 pounds lighter than the standard M3.Pricing starts at a $108,450.When it came time for BMW to say, “Auf weidersehn, baby” to the current sixth-generation M3, it did it in the best possible way, with a lightweight, sport-tuned model featuring a six-speed manual and, of course, rear-wheel drive. BMW first used the CS moniker way back in 1965 for the iconic and game-changing 2000 C and 2000 CS of the then-Neue Klasse. That was the first Neue Klasse, remember. Back then, the letters stood for Coupe Sport.From 1968 to 1975, the C and the S were placed on the E9 coupes: 2800 CS, 3.0 CS, and 3.0 CSi, wherein the “i” stood for Injection, as in fuel injection. That was followed by the famous 3.0 CSL , Club Sport Leichtbau, or lightweight, BMW’s first homologation race car and the ancestor to today’s M Division.The CS letters returned in 2017 on the M4 CS, M3 CS, and M2 CS, the latter being a track-focused version of those potent performers. A BMW M4 F82 CS lapped the Nürburgring Nordschliefe in 7:38, for instance.Now, the latest iteration of the storied CS line sits before you, awaiting your checkbook.BMW M3 CSA few quick facts about the 2027 M3 CS Handschalter: It’s the only M3 CS ever offered with a six-speed manual; it’s the lightest in the lineup, almost 75 pounds lighter than the standard M3; it sports specific tuning for chassis, steering, engine, and gearbox; it offers a 0-60-mph time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph with the standard M Driver’s Package.BMW says the CS’ specially tuned axle kinematics and unique wheel camber settings are engineered to optimize steering precision, transmission of lateral control forces when cornering, spring and damping response, and wheel location. New springs and a new rear axle link lower the M3 CS Handschalter by a quarter inch compared to the standard M3. Shock absorbers previously found on the ultra-high performance M4 CSL and special auxiliary springs round out the M3 CS Handschalter’s chassis dynamics package.BMW M3 CSThe wheels can be fitted with high-performance or track-oriented tires measuring 275/35ZR-19 at the front and 285/30ZR-20 at the rear. Ultra track tires are a $600 option.For weight savings, BMW says it achieves them through targeted use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, forged alloy wheels, a titanium muffler, standard M Carbon bucket seats, and “other measures,” including the use of optional M Carbon Ceramic brakes. CFRP is also used for the roof panel, hood, front splitter, front air intakes, exterior mirror caps, rear diffuser, and rear spoiler. Even the center console and interior trim are made from CFRP. The titanium rear silencer shaves another eight pounds.BMW M3 CSGetting it around the track is made possible by BMW’s 3.0-liter S58 inline six-cylinder with M TwinPower Turbo technology making 473-hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, paired exclusively with that precise six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive “for an unmistakably direct connection between driver and machine.” Zero-to-60 mph comes up in 3.8 seconds if you use the NHRA’s one-foot rollout. Top speed is 180 mph. Your first chance to see the CS Handschalter will be at the All-BMW Petersen Cruise-In at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 23. The event runs from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with the reveal scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
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