The BMW M3 CS is getting a manual transmission. I’ll give you a moment to collect yourself. Good? Okay, let’s dig in.
For the 2027 model year, BMW will be building a very limited number of BMW M3 CS Handschalter (literally “manual transmission” in German) models, which comes with a six-speed manual, two very special color choices, and specific chassis and suspension tuning. Speed addicts will scoff at the three pedal version, as it comes with less power than the automatic M3 CS. With the Handschalter pack, the 3.0-liter twin-turbo S58 engine makes 473 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, which is the same as the standard M3 manual. Performance naturally suffers because of it, as the manual M3 CS takes 4.1 seconds to reach 60 mph, almost a full second slower than what the normal M3 CS can do. However, there are plenty of upsides.
The obvious upside is fun. You still get all of the M3 CS’s chassis and suspension improvements, just now with the more fun transmission. So it has the same carbon fiber bits, titanium muffler, and lightweight interior, making it 75 pounds less than a standard M3. Additionally, BMW dropped the all-wheel drive system with the manual. So on top of being the only manual CS, it’s also the only rear-wheel drive one. But BMW didn’t just drop the standard M3 powertrain into the M3 CS Handschalter and call it a day. The suspension, steering, and all of the electronic control settings have been specifically tuned for the manual’s specific weight and balance. Since the M Driver’s package is standard, its top speed is 180 mph right out of the box.
There are a few other goodies you can get to improve performance even further. Optional M Carbon Ceramic brakes improve stopping power while also reducing weight, “ultra” track tires will make it even stickier for $600, and an M front strut brace will increase front end rigidity for $1100. If you plan on hitting the track, these seem like worthwhile options. However, if you’re looking to enjoy the M3 CS as a road car, you can probably uncheck those boxes, as the slightly more relaxed, less grippy version might be better suited for back road-duty.
Only four colors are available for the M3 CS Handschalter, two of which are already available on the M3 CS, but two are classics pulled from the BMW Individual catalog. Isle of Man Green and Black Sapphire Metallic are your standard colors, but BMW dug into its history to pull out Imola Red and Techno Violet Metallic. Since Techno Violet is my favorite all-time BMW M color, I shivered reading that. Both Individual colors are optional extras, though, at $4500.
BMW is only making a very limited run of these things, and it isn’t saying exactly how many, but we know it’s fewer than 1000 cars. Production starts in July, and each one will cost $107,100 plus a $1350 destination, which is interestingly quite a bit cheaper than the normal M3 CS’ $118,700 price.
The Handschalter package took the already great BMW Z4 M40i and turned it into something magical, so I wonder what it can do for what is already on of BMW’s sharpest driving tools. Now BMW has to find the courage to make a Touring version.