{"id":85609,"date":"2026-05-23T04:15:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T08:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85609"},"modified":"2026-05-23T04:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T08:15:16","slug":"2005-bmw-m3-e46-cs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85609","title":{"rendered":"21 Years Ago, BMW Built A Manual M3 CS Few Remember"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"post-summary-wrap\">\n<h3 class=\"post-summary-title\">Article Summary<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"post-summary-list\">\n<li>Although it did not have the CS badge, the last iteration of the BMW M3 E46 was officially marketed in the UK as the M3 CS.<\/li>\n<li>Reports claim only about 250 to 275 cars were ever sold.<\/li>\n<li>BMW UK asked an extra \u00a32,400 over the standard M3, charging \u00a341,155. An optional SMG was available, and most cars had it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>BMW is sending off the G80 generation in North America with a limited-run M3 CS Handschalter. Although it\u2019s touted as the only M3 CS ever to get a manual gearbox, enthusiasts from the UK will beg to differ. Back in 2005, Britain received a three-pedal M3 CS as a run-out edition of the E46. Although it didn\u2019t wear CS badging, that\u2019s how the car was marketed 21 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially the UK\u2019s version of the Competition Package available in the rest of Europe and the United States, the M3 CS (Clubsport) commanded a \u00a32,400 premium over the standard car. That pushed the asking price to \u00a341,155. Even so, it was still significantly less than the mighty \u00a359,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2023\/05\/28\/bmw-m3-csl-67-cars-bmw-welt\/\">CSL<\/a>. The latter had already gone out of production by then. The CS did borrow a few upgrades from the ultimate E46 variant, including its quicker steering rack and beefier brakes.<\/p>\n<p>Other goodies included the CSL-derived stability control system with a dedicated M Track mode. A press of the button enabled a more tail-happy behavior. That wasn\u2019t all. BMW UK also fitted the M3 CS with CSL-style 19-inch wheels and revised suspension featuring different spring rates. Inside, an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel made it feel a bit more special than the standard car.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-474851\" title=\"e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/e46-bmw-m3-cs-competition-04.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Most M3 E46 CS Cars Had The Optional SMG, Making The Manual Even Rarer<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s believed that most cars were actually ordered with the CSL\u2019s SMG transmission, which was available at the time for an additional \u00a32,100. Total production numbers vary, but roughly 250 to 275 E46 M3 CS models were sold in the UK, with manual cars being rarer than hen\u2019s teeth. All cars featured the standard S54 engine, a naturally aspirated 3.2-liter inline-six producing 338 hp and 269 lb-ft (365 Nm). While that might not sound like much by today\u2019s standards, the car weighed only 1,495 kg (3,296 lbs).<\/p>\n<p>The M3 CS served as the last hurrah for the E46 generation before its V8-powered successor arrived shortly afterward. BMW aficionados know the M division experimented extensively during the E46 era, culminating in the M3 GTR Strassenversion and its race-car-derived P60B40 engine. BMW also built an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/17\/bmw-m3-e46-touring-2026-photos\/\">M3 Touring<\/a>, though sadly only as a one-off.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-bmw-m3-cs-manual-12.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513573\" title=\"2026 BMW M3 CS MANUAL 12\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-bmw-m3-cs-manual-12-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"2026 BMW M3 CS MANUAL 12\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-bmw-m3-cs-manual-12-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-bmw-m3-cs-manual-12-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-bmw-m3-cs-manual-12-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-bmw-m3-cs-manual-12-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-bmw-m3-cs-manual-12.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>The Last Dance For The Manual M3?<\/h2>\n<p>Fast-forward to 2026, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/18\/2027-bmw-m3-cs-rear-wheel-drive-manual-transmission\/\">M3 CS Handschalter<\/a> for the United States and Canada could signal the beginning of the end for the manual transmission. Although BMW has announced a next-generation M3 with an inline-six engine, we wouldn\u2019t hold our breath for another do-it-yourself gearbox. Internally known as the G84, the sports sedan is reportedly going automatic-only. It\u2019s also expected to come exclusively with xDrive. That said, we\u2019re holding hope for a selectable 2WD mode, as in the outgoing model.<\/p>\n<p>Before the G80 M3 goes away, there\u2019s still time to order one with a manual gearbox. Insiders claim production won\u2019t end until early 2027, so order books are unlikely to close before late this year. Once it\u2019s gone, BMW will be down to just two cars with a stick shift: the G87 M2 and G82 M4. Just a few months ago, we also said goodbye to another three-pedal car, the Z4 roadster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article Summary Although it did not have the CS badge, the last iteration of the BMW M3 E46 was officially marketed in the UK as the M3 CS. Reports claim only about 250 to 275 cars were ever sold. BMW UK asked an extra \u00a32,400 over the standard M3, charging \u00a341,155. An optional SMG was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}