BMW M CEO Frank van Meel said earlier this year that "the manual doesn't really make sense" because of how it impacts torque (and fuel consumption), adding that it's becoming more difficult to develop manual gearboxes for contemporary requirements. Until then, we can still have some fun manual Bimmers, including the latest from the M division: the 2027 M3 CS Handschalter. "We" refers to the United States and Canada; those are the only countries getting this special edition, but it's bittersweet news.
BMW says it is "marking the close of the M3's sixth generation" with this 75-pound-lighter, rear-wheel-drive, manual version of the CS. As a result of the stick and three pedals, the only M3 CS ever (of two after the DCT-only F80 CS) loses some power, but without the AWD components, the CS track enhancements should be more apparent, making the luxury sports sedan even more fun to drive. As good as a CT5-V Blackwing? We'll have to drive it to know, but here's what we do know about the G80's sendoff.
2027 BMW M3 CS Handschalter Is Still Fast
Like the non-Competition G80, the S58 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six has been restrained to 473 horsepower, and even with the human behind the wheel in charge of clutch depression and slot selection, and even without the front wheels helping to find traction, BMW claims 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds (3.8 if you use a 1-foot rollout as most manufacturers do), and with the M Driver's Package included, top speed is 180 mph. Take all those figures with a pinch of sugar rather than salt, because BMW tends to tell white lies about its performance figures, with real-world results typically even more impressive. The only exception on the spec sheet to carry an asterisk is the weight figure, because the 75-lb weight reduction is only accurate if you order M Carbon Ceramic brakes (painted red or gold; the latter used to be the only color available for these brakes) that save 31.5 lbs of unsprung weight. If you stick with M Compound brakes, you can have red or black calipers.
Whichever you choose, the headlight DRLs are yellow, and Style 927M forged alloy wheels are standard in either Gold Bronze or black. Clearly, wheel color will have to come into the equation when choosing your brakes: do you want gold on gold or black on black in filling your wheel arches? Maybe. Maybe not. As a CS, BMW also fiddled with the chassis, and the tuning is bespoke to this car because of its RWD setup and what that does to the weight distribution. The steering, engine, and gearbox settings also got tweaked for this car, but it's in the suspension department that the most real change happened. The axle kinematics and camber settings were updated, helped by shock absorbers from the M4 CSL, new springs, the addition of auxiliary springs, and a new rear axle link that is 6 millimeters lower than on a normal M3. To get the most out of the engineers' work, buyers can spend another $600 for track rubber and another $1,100 on a cast aluminum M front strut brace to increase rigidity while adding some weight back in. Interestingly, Canada gets this for free, though the tires haven't been priced.
Carbon Fiber Adds Cost to the Manual RWD M3 CS
As always, no special edition is complete without plenty of carbon fiber, with plenty of it exposed on the M3 CS. You can see the weave on the roof, in the recesses on the hood, in the front splitter and air intakes, on the mirror caps, on the trunk spoiler, and in the diffuser housing the quad-tipped titanium rear silencer that completes the exhaust. Using titanium in the exhaust and carbon fiber inside and out, including standard heated and adjustable M Carbon buckets, carbon trim, and a carbon center console, saved eight pounds of the 42 lost compared to a regular M3, with the optional brakes making up the difference.
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In either a stroke of brilliance or a total headscratcher, and while BMW has given buyers the luxuries of Harman Kardon Surround Sound and a drift analyzer, it's also taken away the center armrest. BMW always does this with CS models, and it sucks on long journeys. It may have benefits during spirited driving here, but we bet regular users may get annoyed. Speaking of, the armrest isn't the only piece deleted in the onslaught against ounces, as you have to order the Daily Driver Package to have a power-operated trunk lid and a head-up display (yes, while this is a 2027 model, it doesn't have the Neue Klasse Panoramic Vision infotainment setup). Interestingly, the Canadian press site makes no mention of the Daily Driver Package. But enough stalling, let's talk price.
So what does this cost? $107,100 plus $1,350 for destination and handling in the U.S., and $132,500 CAD for our neighbors to the north. We don't have Canadian pricing for the paint options, but American buyers get Isle of Man Green metallic or Black Sapphire metallic at no charge, with Imola Red and Techno Violet metallic (BMW Individual options formerly available with the E46 and E36 M3, respectively) costing $4,500. Is this a fine celebration of the M3's heritage, and more importantly, is this the true beginning of the end for the manual M car? We'll have to wait for a drive of this and more news of the next M3 to answer those questions.
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