"we didn't go over 5500 rpm once, because of break in" pause.... "except to red line couple of times by accident" Says every BMW owner. ;) 1st time seeing you videos, this was a great review!
Great video! I just got my 3CS .. I also have a 718 GT4, buckets and manual. Porsche buckets are more comfortable to me because of the lateral thigh pressure but I’m getting used to it. The 3CS came out of nowhere, wasn’t on my radar and I randomly came across an unclaimed allocation so I jumped at it. I was very pleasantly surprised when I drove it. I had a couple F80s and liked them, never drove a G80 so I didn’t really know what to expect with this car but 400miles in and it’s a real joy. Your thoughts echo what I’ve felt to be true.
Thanks for your comments, we come from the same GT4/RS reference and it really is a surprisingly good car especially for the price compared to Porsches. Glad you’re enjoying it!
I currently have the m but have had gt4. Both are rockets and handle well but the m3 is probably faster while the Porsche was more planted (which is saying something compared to the phenomenal handling of the m3). I loved the instant throttle feedback from a NA Porsche though. The m3 takes a split second to respond and isn’t as “fun” I guess is the word. Either way, enjoy those beasts my friend
I turned off the digital sound fakery with BimmerCode on my G80 comp. It sounds fantastic, valves still open and close and you do get some burbles in sport+
Awesome review! Really well put together technical analysis, and honest feedback from dudes who have experience with more high end cars! Subbed! G80 Comp X owner here. Do you think they will release mods for us which will address the steering feel?
Thanks a lot! I think your best bet is to upgrade to the M sport suspension if you haven’t already and get a more aggressive alignment setup. That will address some of the mechanical side of things. Unfortunately, I think there’s a fair amount of electronic steering tuning they’ve done which I wouldn’t think they would release but maybe?
It is a fantastic car. As a current owner of a 992S, a new GT4RS and an M4C, the bmw by far has the nicest interior and the one that you truly feel the build quality is superior. Yes I believe the interior build quality blows both of my Porsches away. However, for bmw to ask 120k for a car that only has some very very minor differences from their m3/4c is a bit outrageous to say the least. The CS does not justify a 120k price plus any additional dealer bs. Get a regular comp, put BM3 and an aftermarket coilover suspension and it’ll smoke that CS all day long. My 2 cents!
Hey Martin, I felt the same as you before I drove the car. I can’t say I fully agree now though. There are M3/4 comps spec’d out to well over $100k with the right options. Adding coil overs and a tune would make it straight line faster but it’s not as simple as that for the track. We’ve added coil overs to many cars including GT4’s and I can say for sure if the factory can get it right from the beginning (like they have on the CS and Porsche did on the GT4RS) it’s much preferred. By the time it’s all said and done you’d be close to MSRP on the CS with a close but not completely equivalent car. Plus your resale would be way less. BMW didn’t do a good job of marketing the differences in the comp and CS, but it is actually meaningful when you add it all up. The best news is, as of now, you can get a CS for only $5k over as we did if you do a little calling around. Thanks for your comment!
I think I read the torque curve has been smoothed out compared to the CP variant for higher speeds for track. The CP is little more energetic for more road fun. My ‘18 F80CP seems to like comfort for steering feel. Sport setting for suspension seems to keep the wheels less spinning through the gears. Sport+ for throttle. All driver aids off makes for a great drive on twisty roads. Still I will admit based on your experience, the G series, longer and fatter and heavier with subjective looks, still sounds like a great BMW in the CS variant.
How would you compare the steering/handling against the current gen CTR? You mentioned “baby GT3”, but many auto journalists have equated the CTR as GT3-esque. Having driven both, I’d tend to agree. CTR is arguably the best driver’s car under 100k save for maybe the M2CS and 718 GTS.
I really enjoyed your review of the 2024 BMW M3 CS. I also bought the same color M3 CS on May 1st and I'm loving it so far. I was wondering what tires your M3 CS has on it? Mine has Michelin Cup 2 tires and they're amazing. They provide excellent grip. I've also been really impressed with the performance of the M3 CS. It's incredibly fast and agile, and it's a blast to drive. highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a high-performance sports sedan. I also wanted to ask what kind of adjusted dealer markup you paid for your M3 CS? I'm curious to know how much you ended up paying for it. Thanks for the great review!
Hey Martin, thanks! Mine actually has PZero Corsa’s on it, which is odd but they are very good tires (80TW). Looking forward to see what they can do on the track. Agreed this is probably the highest performing sports sedan you can get new in 2023. We paid 5 over MSRP Cheers!
@@De132an Yeah I feel pretty good about it, especially after driving it. We're borrowing an M5CS next week to do a review on so really curious to see which we like more by the end of the shoot, including price.
@@carhoney wow! Only about 1000 were ever made and I know of only 2, one in Naples FL the other in Northern VA. You are one lucky dude to get one to do your comparison. Just a hint, the V-8 is a monster. Can’t wait!!
How rough is the suspension in town on the CS? We have awful roads here and the normal comp is good, but much rougher would be tough to drive every day
It’s certainly stiffer, but a lot of it is just extra road feel but not jarring or harsh bumps. I would say you would notice more for sure compared to the comp which feels comfortable to me.
@@carhoney cheers-I was on the fence about upgrading to a CS but for my daily driver it seems a bit over the top unless you’re taking it to the track. Good to know the suspension is good around town though! For me the lack of 360 camera and adaptive cruise options hurt the livability in town and on highway commutes-always squeezing down tiny streets, in small parking spots, and fighting bumper to bumper traffic
@@solar5286 yeah the executive package and lack of adaptive cruise control is a big deal for a daily. It also lacks a center console and cup holders/dc outlet in the center. It just has the wireless phone charger.
@@solar5286 yes same here, I don’t use it but it’s such a convenient spot for my phone I accidentally use it. Which it could be turned off or exchanged for cop holders
Hearing you make the distinction about track use is pivotal. Because of small production numbers, most won’t actually see the track or the hard driving environments where they would shine. On the streets and even in canyon/backroad environments, I don’t think it’s worth the price jump. I hope the owners of these cars actually put them on course, but I understand why they wouldn’t.
Absolutely agree. Just a sad fact with a lot of the special track edition cars out there. Where I will depart a little from this is that on the back roads, the steering feel does add enough of a special element that makes it a lot more entertaining. Especially because more feedback while driving slower than at the track = a better experience without having to track the car. Similar to manual transmissions in theory. But ultimately once we do our track testing we will see if that holds true or if this thing really needs to be on a track. (It is entirely possible that it’s sweet spot is canyons/back roads, but probably not)
@@carhoney That’s fair. I bought a manual M3 with that theory base in mind. I don’t plan to track mine at all, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it on tight, twisty roads at speeds where redlining 2nd, getting higher revs in 3rd can be accomplished. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts once you’ve had a track outing or two.
At 6:4 225 those bucket 🪣 seats ain't going to work out for me. Taking them out and selling them for over ten grand. Is 💰 a winner. Then it becomes a daily driver.
Agreed, wish it was lighter, engine sounded better and had a DCT. BUT, we have a GT4RS which is not a pig, sounds amazing, and has one of the best DCT’s ever and the M3CS is still an exciting car compared to it on the street.
We’re both about 6’3”. Plenty of head room and side to side. Only issue is the hip bolsters a just a little but narrow for my liking but they are better for track driving for sure.
@Car Honey oh neat to know. I'm 6ft2" and was worried the F80 or F87 M2 Comp. might be too small for me but you're giving me a bit of hope now. Currently shopping and can't make a decision of which to pick as a daily driver and car I use to learn about the M platform and start doing upgrades on. Definitely not tracking either.
What you are saying is simply not true. The G80 M3 Competition and G82 M4 Competition have exactly the same HP and are essentially the same price. If you’re googling this difference and using the google car comparison widget that pops up immediately, that is what is steering you wrong.
Would be cool if you guys were so fastidious to mention how much fuel you were carrying at weigh in. Also, there's really little point to guessing at suspension alignment specs as they're always off from the factory (long time on the ship crossing the Atlantic). ZF is a cost cutting mistake. They should've evolved the M DCT. Huge miss. It's the porkiest M3 ever built. Saddies.
@@carhoney you guys gotta drive my car bro! I have a dinan midpipe with dahler valve controller. Since i work for bmw I dont want to delete the second cat.Before I added the midpipe, the dahler controller made a noticeable sound change with stock set up. I dont think you should swap for a new exhaust because you already have the titanium mufflers. Just get a mid that take off the secondary cats👍
