Why wait for Elon Musk’s morally dubious Neuralink? If you want to feel a telepathic connection to something, buy a BMW M3 CS. Behind the terrifying face of David Cronenberg is a lighter, stronger M3 that responds so quickly it’s as if a cable from a USB port is plugged into your brainstem.
The M3 CS’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six makes 543 horsepower, 40 more than the M3 Competition and 70 more than the standard model. Torque remains unchanged from the comparison version at 479 lb-ft. Unlike the equally track-focused M4 CSL, the CS is all-wheel drive, though that system can detach the front axle for rear-wheel-drive heroes. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission offered because it’s faster than a human.
The weight of the M3 CS is carried (or not) by carbon fiber reinforced plastic. BMW makes the most of it, from the roof to the cabin trim. The cabin also saves weight by replacing the center armrest with a clunky thing that isn’t ergonomic in everyday driving. BMW’s lightweight (narrow if you have thick thighs) carbon fiber bucket seats are standard. All of this brings the curb weight to 3890 pounds, 39 pounds less than the M3 Comparison xDrive we tested and 310 pounds more than the M4 CSL.
Then again, everyday driving is clearly not what BMW is aiming for with this car. The M3 CS defaults to the smoothest suspension setting, but it can’t counteract the punch of the thin-sidewall Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. For anything but obsidian-smooth tracks, switch to a firmer setting and you’ll regret it. The steering is quick and never let up in the center, walking the line between telepathy and twitch. It was a rowdy, fool-shooting affair.
