The BMW M3 CS is the new Bimmer I’m most excited about. After BMW M’s boss said that the M3 CS is sort of a baby M5 CS, I’ve been positively giddy. The M5 CS is my favorite BMW from this century and I sincerely hope the M3 CS captures some of its magic. I won’t be able to find out until I drive it but one thing’s for certain—it’s fast. In this new video from AutoTopNL, you get to see it clock 193 mph on the Autobahn.
Reaching nearly 200 mph is typically the stuff of supercars: sleek, low-slung, aerodynamic exotics with motorsport technology and sexy names. However, we’re at a point now where even sensibly sized sedans can reach that point. While there’s admittedly a pretty big difference between 193 mph and 200 mph, it’s damn close. At 193 mph, the car is still traveling 283 feet-per-second. At that speed, one glance down at the speedometer and you’ve crossed an American football field.
We all knew the BMW M3 CS was fast. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six makes 543 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, which is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and xDrive all-wheel drive. On paper, the M3 CS isn’t as exciting as the M4 CSL, due to it being a bit heavier, four-door, and all-wheel drive. However, I actually think it might be better because it’s more usable on the road.
What’s remarkable, though, is just how planted and stable it is in this video. Even at 193 mph, it looks rock-solid and almost easy to drive. It actually looks so stable, I’m starting to question the validity of the video, nothing without a Bugatti badge should look that calm at speed. It’s a testament to not only the G20 3 Series base chassis but also the upgrades the M Division made to turn the G20 into a G80. All of the additional bracing, the beefier suspension, and the stickier tires all make it incredibly capable, more so than you might think, apparently.
OK, so no one outside of Germany can actually do this, as you need a very long stretch of empty Autobahn to reach 193 mph in an M3 CS. I’m not sure if there’s a track in America that has a long enough straightaway for the M3 CS to reach that speed and, to be honest, I highly doubt there is. However, it’s still great to know that it can do that sort of speed because you can feel safe at half of that.
