Built in lower production than the legendary 1 Series M.
The new BMW M3 flagship, the 2024 BMW M3 CS, has been revealed as a four-door, all-wheel-drive equivalent to the M4 CSL, but the bad news is that production will be limited to just a single year, making it a relatively rare prospect.
While an exact number has not been set – the M4 CSL is limited to 1,000 units – a BMW representative has confirmed to CarBuzz that production of the M3 CS will be limited to a single year, beginning in March 2023. But how many cars can we expect from its production run? “At the moment, we are estimating [somewhere] around 2,000 units in total,” the BMW representative told us. This is a global figure, meaning the number of units that reach the US is expected to be much lower. However, as the US is one of the largest M markets in the world, we'll likely receive more than anyone else.
But the door has been left open for expanded production, as in years gone by, BMW has responded to high demand for special models and extended their production runs on occasion. This would only be possible if the factory in Munich has the capacity, something that seems unlikely given the supply chain constraints that exist right now.
BMW would not respond to comment on how supply chain shortages might affect M3 CS production, but we expect the limited edition would fall under a priority manufacturing category that would get first dibs on componentry over standard M3 builds if push came to shove.
While the M3 CS will be easier to obtain than its two-door sibling, the M4 CSL (1,000 units), it's not the rarest M3 of the current generation. That honor goes to the M3 Edition 50 Jahre, limited to just 500 units globally with special paint colors but lacking the weight savings and enhanced powertrain offered by the M3 CS.
The M3 CS may still be one of the rare models to wear the Club Sport designation, though. The previous generation (F80 M3 CS was limited to 1,200 units and the M5 CS to approximately 1,000, but both the M4 CS (3,000 units over two years) and M2 CS (2,200 units) were more abundant. BMW has a history of increasing production capacity on special models, however; the 1 Series M Coupe saw its production increase from an initially-planned 2,700 units to 6,309.
The M3 CS retails for $118,700 (plus a $995 destination fee) compared to M4 CSL's $139,900 MSRP, making it more affordable, but we suspect it will be in high demand locally.
But BMW isn't finished with special editions for this generation of M3 and M4, as evidenced by leaked insider information. The German automaker could introduce an M4 CS to slot between the Competition and the CSL, or bring back the track-focused GTS model.
BMW will likely facelift the M3 and M4 sometime towards the middle of the current decade, at which point there could be room for new special edition models. Either way, we imagine anyone who nabs an M3 CS at sticker price will have a safe investment on their hands.
Keyword: The BMW M3 CS Will Be Extremely Rare And Desirable