The M3CS is my only car and multi-purpose vehicle. I have put 8,900 miles on it with ~500 miles of track miles. Ill share some thoughts on the car and how it is holding up to this mix usage. I imagine most of my comments are equally applicable to all variants of the M3, not just the CS.
Spoiler: The M3 CS has been superb, and exceeded my expectations.
Ownership:
It has been easy to live with through all of the seasons. It is a fun car to drive through town, back roads and certainly at the track. I used it for grocery shopping, hauling people, carrying luggage, for business and personal purposes. Nothing has gone wrong and there are no rattles or unwanted noises inside the cabin. I have been in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the tech helps tremendously while waiting for traffic to open up.
It is docile and comfortable when needed, and a monster when the occasion presents itself. I find the steering and brakes to be much more communicative than some reviewers state. I have no issues sensing what the car is doing, although I have to admit that it took me a couple of autoxes and track days to understand and interpret the signals. After 8 track days and 4 autoxes, I feel I am very much in-tune with the car.
I am good with the compromises inherent to the CS. Not having cup holders, for example, hasnt been an issue, I just use a Yeti and put it in the cup holder of the door. Not having an arm rest hasnt been an issue either for me, even though I have had 2+ hour drives.
I have not run into a situation in which I thought another vehicle would be better. The only two negatives I can mention are that it attracts more attention than I prefer, even though I specifically picked the black car, it screams “come get me.” Thankfully, the police have left me alone thus far even though I do not have a front plate.
And, because it is BSM color, I had to wash and detail the exterior more often than I normally do. I learned how to enjoy doing this 3-4 hours of work. Once it is pristine clean, it just looks like a stunner.
Cost of Ownership:
Total costs to date add up to $9,940 for the last 15 months. This includes all maintenance, parts, labor, insurance and track/autox fees. Does not include fuel, or monthly car payments.
Consumables and Damages:
To be on the safer side, I had three engine oil changes thus far, the rear differential oil was changes during break-in service, used Pagid RSL29 track pads (now back to original), and consumed two the front tires, which I replaced with lightly used ones.
Attachment 3609480Attachment 3609481
Front brake pads; RSL29 pads on the right, and original pads on the left:
As careful as I was, I did damage part of the front spoiler. Thankfully, it is one of the smaller pieces that can be replaced separately, but it is still going to cost quite a bit.
Also, sustained a small dent on the front radiator, which does not require any intervention at this time:
Final thoughts:
The car is not a luxury cruiser; thankfully! It is taught, but not uncomfortable or hard core. The shock and spring tuning is just right for this car. The body roll is minimal, while road compliance is more than acceptable. The PS4S tires are really good on the road, dry or wet, and do okay on track, but they heat up a bit too fast. They are nearly perfect for autoxing though.
As a driver, I enjoyed every time I got into the car, and passengers never felt they should have been in another. I had a long drive with my little helper, a.k.a. wife, and we had a great time pacing through farm roads, mountains and villages, listening to music of choice, conversing on many fun and serious topics, stopping by farmers markets along the way. We had a great time in the car.
Next to Do:
Few items to take care of during winter are (1) replace the front spoiler piece, (2) track tires, (3) a new set of RSL29 pads, (4) rebuild the calipers, (5) new alignment, (6) engine and transmission oil changes.
I have no other wants or needs from a car, maybe just a tad less attention. Perfect vehicle, money well spent and a long-termer for sure. I hope you all enjoy yours even more than me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
