The BMW M3 E30, E46 CSL, E92 GTS and F80 CS go head to head in a drag race

This has been made possible thanks to the guys at Carwow, who have gathered four of the most acclaimed BMW M3s to unleash their performance on the tarmac. Without the E36 M3, we have the already iconic E30, the E46 CSL, E92 GTS and F80 CS, three special editions that sought a more radical character and pushed their respective standard variants further up the ladder.

In this way, the popular English channel has managed to capture not only the sportiness of all the M3 generations featured in the video, but also to show the significant differences between them. On one hand, we have the E30 M3, a model that, even in its less sporty versions, still generates huge interest. It was with this model that the M3 name first arrived, and it was responsible for extracting 195 CV and 230 Nm of torque from a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine.

Second, we have the E46 CSL M3, with the E36 excluded since it was not present in the relevant test. The CSL designation has added to the already sporty package offered by the BMW M3, achieved through increased power and a considerable reduction in weight. In the case of the E46, we find a 3.2-litre six-cylinder inline engine capable of producing 360 CV and 370 Nm of torque.

Following the timeline of the BMW M3, we must make room for the E92 GTS, another special edition that also highlighted some traits of the standard M3 to offer a much more effective vehicle. To be more specific, beneath the bonnet of this version lives a 4.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 that delivers 450 CV of power and 440 Nm of torque, figures that make it one of the fastest M3s in history, but is it enough to beat the F80?

https://youtu.be/TYKUFbXe5F0

This latest generation of the M3, which has just been replaced by the G20, offered an even more special variant with the CS badge, hiding under its skin a turbocharged six-cylinder inline engine that produces 460 CV and 600 Nm of torque. With these figures paired with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the F80 M3 has been able to outpace its predecessors on the track, demonstrating a clear evolution from the first M3 to the latest, and forcing every generation to reinvent itself and strive for perfection, something we are eager to see in the upcoming G20 M3.