I really cant comment on the Alfa as I’ve never driven one but can appreciate its beauty regardless. That being said, I knew my G80 M3 was going to be a manual because of my F80 experience. The DCT was fun (especially vs the ZF8) but I didn’t feel much of a connection with the car because of the transmission. Given your username, you may be disappointed with the Alfa or the CS because of your desire/affliction with wanting 3 pedals. Only you can decide based on your experiences. In stock guise, the 6MT G80 is a bit lack lustre, but that’s where mods come in.
With regards to mods - it’s tough to say. As someone that has spent around way too much in mods (I could’ve bought a new Mercedes C300 with the amount I’ve spent so far), I definitely understand it feeling like an endless desire to continue to add, but it depends on your use case and your ability to exercise self restraint. My G80 is my only car and I plan on keeping it for a while, so I had to get a set of winter wheels, coilovers to truly enjoy the car on track, SSK, CDV delete, set of tyres for the track, experimenting with exhausts to get the perfect sound, etc. but if I could redo everything, I’d definitely save a boat load of money by buying what I feel are the essentials.
My essential mods for a fun and engaging car (many will disagree but it’s just IMO):
Suspension:
KW V3’s
Fall Line/Millway/DINAN spherical bearings (also called monoball conversion, 100% absolute must for anyone that wants to feel the roads through their steering wheel and not just the chassis)
Exhaust:
AA/VT EL midpipe, depending on if you want rowdy raspy or less rasp and more bass
200 cell/catless downpipes from MAD, depending on tastes
Misc:
Spacers for stock wheels
Piggyback or flash tune depending on your power level wants and needs
Change of tyres depending on your driving style and preferences (I’ve personally fallen in love with Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Supercar 3)
CDV delete & BMS clutch stop for 6MT owners
That’s it. I’m not sponsored by anyone so I have nothing to gain by recommending the aforementioned parts.
CF exterior parts aren’t essential, engine bay bling isn’t needed, no you don’t need intakes, no you don’t need yellow/RGB DRL’s - it’s all, IMHO, superfluous. Trust me, I know
You could add the amount spent on those aforementioned mods and still have a lot of money leftover, and you’d have, arguably, a better car than the M3CS. Sure, it won’t be as rare, but if you don’t care for it then your wallet will thank you and you’ll have a car that’s to your tastes.
So I strongly don’t think the CS is worth a G80 M3 + $50k on top. If you care about how rare it is and enjoy driving something that’s special because of how rare it is then by all means, go for it. But if you’re just looking for a better M3 experience, I see very little reason to trade in at all.. especially with the aftermarket parts list growing. The only viable scenario is wanting to retain the OEM warranty.
/superunnecessarylongpost