The standard M3 CS does not offer a manual gearbox. It comes with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive — a combination that produces 550 hp and 0.6-second lap times that look better in press releases than they feel through a steering wheel. The M3 CS Handschalter is BMW’s answer to the people who found that compromise unsatisfying.
What changed — and why the power dropped
BMW extracted 70 hp from the CS’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six, taking it from 550 hp to 480 hp. Torque drops from 650 Nm to 550 Nm. The reduction is deliberate: the six-speed manual transmission can handle the 480 hp figure reliably under sustained track use without modifications. Pushing more torque through a manual unit at high ambient temperatures creates reliability problems BMW wasn’t prepared to accept on a production car.
The result still reaches 96.6 km/h in 4.1 seconds and 290 km/h flat out — numbers that would have headlined any M car fifteen years ago. The difference from the auto CS is felt primarily on a track, where the lap times are several seconds slower.
Everything else is standard CS — or better
The chassis receives M4 CSL specification springs and dampers — the hardware that underpins BMW’s most focused production car — retuned for rear-drive behaviour. Steering calibration and front camber are revised for the rear-wheel-only configuration. Standard brakes are M Compound four-pot units; carbon-ceramic discs (which save an additional 14 kg) are optional.
Weight reduction is taken seriously: titanium exhaust, carbon-fibre roof, bonnet, front splitter, air intakes, mirrors, rear diffuser, and spoiler combine to strip 19 kg from a standard M3 with the manual option. Add the optional carbon-ceramics and the saving grows to 33 kg.
The details that matter
The exterior is Midnight Stone Frost metallic — an exclusive colour for this variant. Forged Style 927M wheels in gold-bronze or gloss black. Carbon-fibre trim throughout the interior, M Carbon bucket seats standard, and a gear lever medallion referencing the F1 partnership. The supercharger? Wait — there isn’t one. This is a twin-turbo straight-six. The F1 references are cosmetic and limited to the cabin.
This version is for the United States and Canada only. $107,100. Deliveries begin in autumn 2026. Production is limited, though BMW hasn’t specified a number.
