It takes another M3 Touring to beat the G81 at the Nürburgring. With a lap time of 7 minutes and 35 seconds, the regular model was already the fastest production wagon at the Green Hell. It’s now been dethroned by the CS, which becomes the first estate around the Nordschleife to smash the 7:30 barrier. BMW is happy to report its first CS-badged wagon completed a lap of the German track in 7:29.49.
M development engineer Jörg Weidinger got behind the wheel of the M3 CS Touring to see if he could better the old performance. That he did. The hotter wagon from Bavaria shaved 5.57 seconds off the lap time of the standard G81 over the longer configuration of the Nürburgring. It spans 12.9 miles (20.8 kilometers) and contains more than 70 corners. Attached below is an onboard video showing the record-breaking lap attempt.
BMW says the hot lap was achieved back in April, about three months after the car’s official debut. The long-roof M3 CS is almost as quick as its sedan sibling. The M3 CS G80 completed the lap in 7:28.7 in 2023, also with Weidinger behind the wheel. The two body styles differ by only about eight-tenths of a second, even though the Touring carries slightly more weight.
The M3 CS Touring follows another record-breaking M car. The same Jörg Weidinger recently drove the M2 CS to a 7:25.5 lap to snatch the compact car crown from the Audi RS3. However, the M4 CS remains the fastest of the CS cars, with a lap time of 7:21.9. It’s the second-fastest production BMW at the Nordschleife, trailing only the hardcore M4 CSL and its impressive 7:18.1 lap time.
Sooner or later, BMW will probably have a go with the M5 models. Assuming CS derivatives of the sedan and wagon are in the pipeline, they’re likely to be based on the mid-cycle facelift planned for 2027. The M division could also come back with the M2, provided the M2 CSL is happening.
