While Americans may enjoy an international reputation for being lazy, it doesn’t quite seem to fit with the facts. For example, the automotive industry wouldn’t continue to manufacture performance automobiles with manual transmissions without Americans who love automobiles driving the demand for them. The 2027 BMW M3 CS Handschalter, which is translated into English as either “hand switch” or “hand shift,” is just one example of concessions made to the American automobile enthusiast in the global arena by adding a manual six-speed transmission to a performance M3 CS model.
Only available in North America, the M3 CS Handschalter has managed to become the first M3 CS ever produced with a manual transmission. The basic parts of the vehicle consist of a jumbled assortment of parts from both the M3 and M CS that form an alluring package. These include the powertrain consisting of a 3.0L turbocharged I-6 engine capable of producing 473 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, which powers the rear wheels via the six-speed manual transmission.
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What about the even more powerful 550-hp and 479-lb-ft I-6? According to BMW, the manual transmission wouldn’t be able to take more power. However, it will be fast enough, since BMW claims its acceleration to 60 mph will be 3.8 seconds (4.1 seconds without rollout), putting it only 1.1 seconds behind the fastest all-wheel drive M3 Competition that we tested.
Other elements from the product line have also been included into the M3 CS Handschalter. Apart from the cosmetic changes in the interior and exterior of the vehicle, the M3 CS Handschalter includes a number of elements used in other CS vehicles, such as weight reduction (carbon fiber roof, splitter, trunk, seatbacks, and center console), engine mounts from the M4 CSL, titanium exhaust system and dampers from the M3 CS, and springs from the M2 CS.
Even if the dampers themselves are the same, the tuning of the suspension is specific to the M3 CS Handschalter. The removal of the front driveshaft of the AWD system gave the engineers the opportunity to lower the car’s suspension by almost a quarter-inch. Cambering, as well as special tuning of the car’s electronic adaptive suspension and rear e-diff controller is also part of this package. As for additional options, they include carbon ceramic brakes, a front strut brace, and race-specific tires. In addition, there are such options as a head-up display and power trunk lid.
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Although we haven’t driven the Handschalter yet, we got to sit in the driver’s seat and ride in the passenger’s seat while taking a lap of the Streets circuit at Willow Springs. From the driver’s seat, the car’s manual transmission seemed to have BMW’s signature long-travel clutch and notchy but still enjoyable shifting. We will find out whether our impressions are correct when we finally get a chance to start the engine.
During our hot lap, from the passenger seat, the car seemed very balanced and ready to change direction. The gear ratios seemed long, as we’ve seen in many other modern manual BMW M cars, making it possible for Samantha Tan, our race driver for the day, to use the torqueful engine and concentrate more on the lap rather than changing gears.
With an initial price tag of $108,450 and production limited to under 1,000 units, the M3 CS Handschalter will be on top of the M3 range for only 2027. Production starts in Germany right away, and the cars will be available in North American dealerships by fall.
