[Donsta1980]

So I sold my base 2016 individual m3 that was loaded with every single option available plus more($103k) and got into a low mileage San Marino m3 cs. I have noticed quite a few differences in the interior as far as materials go that I didn't know about from other reviews and articles . These are of course besides the obvious differences that are known by most like the driving characteristics and power etc.
1st thing I noticed getting into the car was the material of the plastic throughout. It's a smoother texture. Steering wheel trim, interior door handle trim, even the e brake is softer and smoother.
2nd was the soft touch rubber on the seatbacks. My 2016 was a very hard plastic and this is a rubber feel.
3rd is feel of the seat leather. It's a lot softer. I had opal white full leather on my 2016 and the leather felt hard .
4th is that there is a speaker on the front dash by the window that wasn't in my 2016 or 2017 m3. Both had the HK too. Was this just a 2018 option? Never noticed it on the other m3s and m4s I have drove. Maybe it was there and I just didn't pay attention. Haha
These are just material differences . Which are better in my opinion. I have drove many other f80's and f82's to compare the CS to. Also the side mirror signals are different as well. Looks a lot better on the CS. The trunk handle is different too but I'm thinking it's because the CS doesn't have the comfort access option available . Which is odd and kind of a pain in the ass really. Didn't realize how convenient that option is. Even my hybrid 2016 ford CMax has these options. Lol.
The CS feels tuned compared to my old 2016 m3 and my old 2017 m3 comp. People say the CS is a lot rougher but I disagree. It feels a lot more smoother and luxurious than my comp or my old base model. Headlights obviously do look a lot better in the CS since they are the upgraded ones that came standard. Also the front end for whatever reason looks a lot more aggressive. Not quite sure what that is but I'm thinking it's the front lip on the CS. I had an m performance lip that was painted the same as my cars color which I loved but the CS front end just appears different. Really wish the CS or M3's in general came with bigger exhaust tips. They look very tiny in my opinion. And the CS doesn't slip off which is a bummer. Can't change the tips. And they are single walled. But it does sound better than base or a competition exhaust. No cold start sound which I actually like. The CS handles a lot better!
Overall the CS is a lot more money but in my opinion it's worth the extra cost. I do wish BMW gave customers the option to order it with whatever color they want though. Kinda sucks it's only available in San Marino blue, lime rock grey, alpine white and sapphire black. San Marino looks great but will show every single little flaw or smudge and doesn't stand out. ( my 2016 was individual riviera blue ) which was very bright! Interior on the CS Is a bit dark but easier to maintain than opal white for sure. And the M badge on the seats is a cool touch.
Overall I think the M3 CS is the one to have . Curious how the g80 CS will look. I went with another f80 because I'm just not sold on the look of the g80 . I am opposite of others maybe. The more I see them the more I don't like them.

[Burrcold]

I test drove a 2018 CS and it felt great. Can't say much about the interior materials compared to any older M3's but they were certainly nice (for the F8X generation). I had heard the ride was REALLY firm and was preparing for the worst, but it was actually very compliant (a bit firm but not crashy). My biggest gripes with the CS are just "CS things"...the no arm rest (not a huge deal) but honestly I couldn't get over not having comfort access. The one I looked at was CPO and only had 3.5k miles on it, but they were still asking a HUGE premium over the F80 and I just couldn't swallow it. It was in lime rock grey, which was a huge plus for me (seeing as I'm an Audi Nardo Grey fanboy and this is very similar but a tad darker).