I don’t want to act like North America is a desert for cool cars, because obviously, it isn’t. But I never imagined BMW would exclusively sell a manual M3 CS here. That’s what we’re getting with the new Handschalter limited-edition, as the German automaker shows it’s willing to listen to its fans every once in a while.
BMW announced the model on Monday, bragging about the holy grail combo of a six-speed stick shift, rear-wheel drive, and track-tuned everything. Oh yeah, that’s something else special about the Handschalter—it ditches the regular M3 CS‘s xDrive system for a pure two-wheel-drive setup. You could always disconnect the front axle via the car’s iDrive settings, but the car still lugged around that extra weight no matter what.
All of this not only makes the car more engaging and driftable, but it’s also up to 75 pounds lighter than a normal M3, depending on which options you select. BMW tossed lots of carbon fiber, titanium, and forged aluminum alloy at the M3 CS Handschalter for that very reason. To hit the lowest curb weight possible, the Bimmer must be fitted with with the available carbon-ceramic brakes, forged wheels, and titanium muffler. You can also get a lightweight strut tower brace for $1,100 extra if you want it to be super rigid and connected.
Now, there is one downer about the Handschalter, and it’s that you lose some power by choosing the six-speed manual. Rather than getting the normal CS’s 550 horsepower, you’re left with the standard M3’s 3.0-liter, twin-turbo inline-six making 473 hp. BMW says it’ll still hit 60 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds on its way to a 180-mph top speed, which I think you’ll agree is plenty quick.
I quite like the look of it—especially on the inside, where the carbon isn’t too gaudy and the red accent work is nicely done. The M bucket seats are sweet from an aesthetic standpoint, and I imagine they keep you nicely planted as you slide from one corner to the next. Not much else is changed from the M3 CS we’ve come to know, so you either like it or you don’t at this point.
The CS was already rowdy, but now, you get even more control over it. This serves as a fitting farewell to the sixth-gen M3, which was never the most loved, but there’s no denying its capabilities. BMW seems to be on to something with the Neue Klasse design language, and maybe—just maybe—it’ll be enough to help folks forget the giant kidney grilles from this generation.
Then again, I’m sure nobody driving the M3 CS Handschalter will care what it looks like as they rev-match from fourth to third gear, kicking the tail out just for fun.
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