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The global unveiling of a BMW has taken place in Australia for the first time with the reveal of the 300km/h M3 CS Touring.
The 2025 BMW M3 CS Touring has been unveiled at Mount Panorama ahead of this weekend’s Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race where racing icon Valentino Rossi will race for the German brand.
Order books are now open for the M3 CS Touring – a limited-edition version of BMW's fastest long-roof 3 Series, with ‘Touring’ meaning ‘wagon’ – ahead of its scheduled mid-2025 Australian arrival.
It is the latest in a line of CS-badged BMW M special editions – with more power, less weight and sharper handling – following 2024's M4 CS coupe, 2023's M3 CS sedan, and 2021's M5 CS, among others.
The most powerful, fastest and priciest 3 Series Touring ever offered, the M3 CS Touring is the first global BMW model to be revealed in Australia, with Bathurst a fitting location given the car’s motorsport ‘CS’ (Competition Sport) designation.
“The world premiere of a new BMW is significant for any market and the fact we have been selected for the launch of the M3 CS Touring is an honour while highlighting the importance of Australia in the global context,” said Wolfgang Buechel, BMW Group Australia CEO, in a media statement.
Priced at $253,900 plus on-road costs, it costs significantly more than the $186,900 (before on-roads) M3 Competition xDrive Touring and the $165,015 (plus on-roads) Audi RS4 Avant.
When it was last offered in 2024 – before a mid-life update for the M3 range – the CS sedan was priced from $249,900 plus on-road costs.
The price premium over the M3 Competition Touring sees the CS Touring – which is also all-wheel drive despite not having ‘xDrive’ in its official name – with a 15kW power bump to 405kW, matching the M3 CS sedan.
The gain comes courtesy of increased boost (now 2.1 bar) for each of the two turbochargers feeding the 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine.
Torque remains the same at 650Nm, with more rigid engine mounts claimed to enable a more responsive engine character. Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with paddles.
BMW says the M3 CS Touring can accelerate 0.1 seconds quicker than the Competition Touring in its benchmark tests, taking a claimed 3.5 seconds to hit 100km/h and 11.7 seconds to reach 200km/h before reaching a top speed of 300km/h.
The minor performance gains combine the power bump with a 15kg weight saving achieved through the extensive use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the bonnet, front air intakes and lower bumper ‘splitter’, as well as the rear diffuser.
The CS Touring has double-spoke M lightweight alloy wheels – the same as those seen on the CS sedan – finished in a choice of matte black or Gold Bronze, measuring 19 inches in diameter up front and 20 inches at the rear.
They’re fitted with track tyres measuring 275/35 ZR19 at the front and 285/30 ZR20 at the rear, with a no-cost option for road-oriented, high-performance ‘sport’ tyres instead.
The wheels house red-painted M compound brakes, with carbon-ceramic discs offered as an option, which on the sedan are priced at $16,500.
Also revised for the limited edition are Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and M Dynamic modes specifically tweaked for race track use.
The M3 CS Touring also has recalibrated steering and M adaptive suspension tunes, while a front strut brace under the bonnet helps improve body rigidity.
The body has also been fitted with a unique roof spoiler, finished in gloss black with a CS-specific red surround – while the rear diffuser hosts quad outlets for the lightweight M exhaust system.
Up front, LED daytime-running lights have been designed to glow ‘yellow’ like BMW's GT race cars, contrasting the four exterior colour choices – British Racing Green, Laguna Seca Blue, Frozen Solid White and Sapphire Black metallic.
Inside, there’s CFRP on the console and M Carbon bucket seats – the latter electrically-adjustable with heating and illuminated ‘CS’ badges – plus CS branding on the centre console and door sills.
A three-spoke M steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara sits in front of the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster – which includes gear-shift indicator lights, tyre pressures and vehicle set-up data – alongside a 14.9-inch centre touchscreen.
As well as the M steering wheel button enabling custom choices for the steering, brakes, engine, chassis and all-wheel drive system, there’s also the track-focused ‘M Drive Professional’ including an M Drift Analyser and lap timer – all shared with the regular M3.
BMW Australia posted sales growth in 2024 to outsell traditional German rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi – with all three represented on track at the 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour this weekend.
The next-generation BMW M3 – expected around 2028 – is due to include both battery-electric and six-cylinder turbocharged petrol models.
