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If you’re looking for the ultimate in performance car saloons there has always been one benchmark that all other manufacturer’s aim at. A name as synonymous with driving pleasure and performance that it has remained the yardstick since the first model arrived in 1986. The car in question? The BMW M3.

The idea has always been fairly simple; introducing race engineering and track honed driving dynamics to an everyday family saloon car. A simple recipe but one that BMW have managed to pull off better than anyone for over 30 years. The power, aerodynamic modifications, technology and bodywork alterations may have become further and further removed from a ‘standard’ 3 series, but the practicality and everyday usability has always remained the staple of this performance icon.

The future of the M3, for driving purists at least, is looking more uncertain than ever. The rumour mill is awash with reports of electric assistance and the likelihood of four wheel drive, not very traditional ‘M3 like’ at all. The current generation therefore, may be the last of the ‘proper’ M3’s and the limited edition Club Sport, the pinnacle of the M Division’s creations.

Just 1200 M3 CS models will be built as a final swansong for the current generation. It’s a chance for BMW to show off the extent of their motorsport heritage and engineering, and to push the capabilities of the current M3 to the maximum. From the outset the headline details show they’re taking things very seriously too.

For starters there’s the price tag, at almost £90,000 new, the M3 CS is assured rarity, but the amount of work that has gone into the car goes some way to justify that price rise. With black accents to the bodywork, the car already looks mean and aggressive. There’s a deeper front splitter, lashings of carbon fibre and a broad sunken vent in the bonnet in front of the famous power dome, a bonnet which is now made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic and 25% lighter than a standard M3 bonnet. The 19” front 20” rear lightweight wheels appear to completely fill the bulging arches and are wrapped in semi-slick tyres for extra grip.

BMW M3 Club Sport