New BMW M3 CS Touring revealed: the ultimate fast family wagon now gets 550hp

• BMW unveils M3 CS Touring
• Upgraded version of the standard M3 Touring
• 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine now produces 550hp
• Lightweight carbon fibre bodyparts
• Choice of four striking exterior colours
• Price tag of more than £120,000

BMW has unveiled what may be the ultimate family car – that is, if your family holidays tend to take in racing circuits rather than muddy campsites. The new BMW M3 CS Touring is the most powerful and driver-focused version yet of the BMW M3 Touring, itself a high-performance variant of the BMW 3 Series Touring family estate car.

The term ‘CS’ in BMW-speak stands for Competition Sport, and it designates the highest-performance variants of the brand’s M cars. CS models typically have more power and less weight than a ‘regular’ M car, and that’s the case with the M3 CS Touring.

It’s the car our own Mat Watson said you should wait for when he reviewed the M3 CS saloon back in 2023, and it’s likely to make a lot of estate car enthusiasts very happy indeed – perhaps those who were disappointed in the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate with its four-cylinder plug-in hybrid engine.

BMW M3 CS Touring: engine, power and performance

The CS Touring shares its 3.0-litre straight-six engine with the standard M3, but it’s been tuned up to be even more powerful. It now produces 550hp, up from 530hp normally, and the pressure of the twin-turbochargers has been increased to improve boost response.

Maximum torque – a mammoth 650Nm of it – comes between 2,750 and 5,950rpm, while peak power comes all the way up at 6,250rpm. This means the M3 CS Touring is a very rev-happy machine, which should make it all the more thrilling to drive.

It’s no shock then that it performs ferociously. The benchmark 0-62mph sprint comes in 3.5 seconds, just 0.1s slower than the M3 CS saloon. Top speed, meanwhile, is 186mph – so this could be the ideal autobahn cruiser.

The M3 CS Touring gets a specific exhaust setup, too, with a titanium rear silencer to minimise weight and quad tailpipes finished in matte black. While it won’t be as noisy as some older M cars due to the mandatory particulate filters in the exhaust system, it should still produce quite a bellow – which changes in volume depending on which drive mode you’re in.

Power is still put to the road through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and rear-biased four-wheel drive.

BMW M3 CS Touring: body, chassis and suspension upgrades

The M3 CS Touring, like the saloon, gets a specific chassis tune to make it even sharper and more satisfying to drive. The suspension features new dampers, and the steering and brakes also get an upgrade.

The alloy wheels come in either matte gold or matte black – they’re 19-inches at the front and 20-inches at the rear, and come wrapped in track-ready tyres. However, if your aspirations are more to use the CS Touring as a daily driver, you can switch to less aggressive ‘sport’ tyres at no cost. On the flip side, you can also upgrade to ‘ultra-track’ tyres from the options list.

Behind them sit beefy brakes with red or black calipers, which can be upgraded to carbon-ceramic brakes for fade-free stopping power, ideal for customers who might take the CS Tourings on track.

BMW has also fitted strut braces at the front, which help to make the car’s body even stiffer, once again improving handling.

BMW M3 CS Touring: body, styling and interior

You’ll be able to spot an M3 CS Touring from its extensive use of carbon-fibre – mainly in the form of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). This is used on the bonnet, front splitter, air intakes, mirror caps and rear diffuser, some of which are left exposed for contrast. It’s a weight-saving feature, CFRP being light but extremely strong.

The eye-catching kidney grille at the front is stripped-back, with horizontal slats carrying model badging. There’s also a red contour line, and yellow-tinged LED headlights to give more of that motorsport feel.

Inside, there’s yet more carbon with the bucket seats, shift paddles and trim pieces made of CFRP. All this contributes to a 15kg weight saving from the standard M3 Touring. CS badging on the interior reminds you you’re in something a bit special.

Of course, the crowning glory of the M3 Touring is that it’s powerful yet practical. The good news is that the M3 CS Touring retains that everyday usability thanks to a big 500-litre boot. You also get the same infotainment system as the standard car, which is easy to use and looks great.

BMW M3 CS Touring: when can I buy one?

You might struggle to get your hands on a BMW M3 CS Touring. It will be built in limited numbers, with UK deliveries starting in March 2025.

It costs from £120,600, with that number obviously increasing if you add some desirable optional extras. That puts it right in the neighbourhood of larger and even more powerful cars, such as the Audi RS6 Avant or BMW’s own M5 Touring. The CS’s focus, however, is on driver enjoyment rather than outright power.

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