The 50th anniversary of BMW M it is giving a lot. In addition to releasing a new logo, the Bavarian firm is carrying out all kinds of special actions to celebrate half a century of its sports division. However, nothing can match the release of the BMW 3.0 CSL 2023a modern reinterpretation of the mythical sports car from the 70s. There was no better way to recover that name than with a very purist two-seater vehicle, an example that puts enjoyment behind the wheel above any other aspect.
And this time it reaches real production. Already in 2015 they gave us long teeth with the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R, a prototype that would never go beyond being a design exercise. However, the new one is a limited edition of 50 units (It could not be otherwise), which will occupy its place in the garage of a few lucky ones. He wants to make sense of the acronyms that form his name and that is that CSL comes from “Coupé, Sport, Leichtbau” or, what is the same: coupé, sporty and light.
And it shares some stylistic keys with the prototype from a few years ago. The livery is the same, with a decoration that contains original colors of BMW Motorsport GmbH. The coupe has uniform blue, purple, and red stripes on a white background; the Alpine White which is the base of your body. The 20-inch front and 21-inch rear forged wheels They have a central closure and are painted in gold, in the style of the 70s. The tires have the number 50 engraved on the side, matching the one we see on the doors.
As for the design of the new BMW 3.0 CSL, it has some nods to the past very characteristic. Start with the brand’s kidney grill, which has a fairly upright position and a diamond-pattern rack. On the front apron there are some air intakes reminiscent of the 70s and, in return, it debuts some yellow BMW Laser Light headlights which are taken from the M4 GT3 competition. To house the new tires, the wheel arches have been redesigned and widened.
And the rear of the BMW 3.0 CSL is not going to go unnoticed either. Its coupé lines are accentuated by the Hofmeister curve and the anniversary logo on the C-pillar. The drop in the roof is conditioned not by one, but by two ailerons. The upper one is a smaller air dam, while the main spoiler comes from the side section to bring back that signature “Batmobile” look. Below, we find the rear lights with their own lighting signature, as well as a generous carbon rear diffuser which houses the four outlets of the exhaust system.
One of the premises of this issue was the lightness, taking as reference the 1,270 kilograms of the original and its weight/power ratio of 6.2 kg/CV. To ensure that it does not go to hell, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is used extensively in almost all areas of the bodywork (roof, hood, boot lid, diffuser, spoiler…) and in some of the chassis. The exhaust is made of titanium (4.3 kg lighter) and inside we also see some lightweight components so that this model stay at 1,624 kgpractically the same as the BMW M4 CSL from which it starts.
The passenger compartment of the BMW 3.0 CSL is two-seater, removed rear seats and in its place there is a hole for the helmets. It’s loaded with carbon, and the sound insulators have been reduced to improve weight. The carbon fiber M seats, very radical and only configurable in height and inclination of the seat three-stage screws in a workshop. The upholstery is in black Alcantara, with contrasting stitching and the gear lever in white. You can not miss some carbon moldings with the number of the limited edition.
Another detail to take into account is what is under its hood. It is the already characteristic 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six that receives a specific tune-up to improve its power. In the BMW 3.0 CSL it reaches the 560 hp and 550 Nm of torquea small step above the current six-cylinder M and very far from the 206 CV of the original model of the 70s. Although what really falls in love with this car is that it has the Manual gearbox with six gears as the only option.
It is one of the most purist details of the BMW 3.0 CSL and stands out for achieving the maximum driving pleasure thanks to an exquisite touch. This copy is propulsion and has the active M differential to optimize traction on the rear axle. The chassis also has some peculiarities, as it has a double-spring front axle and a five-link rear axle with a specific set-up. Receives electronically controlled adaptive dampersin addition to other benefits such as the M Servotronic electromechanical steering and the M carbon-ceramic brakes.
The truth is that no details are given about the benefits of the BMW 3.0 CSL, but it is not the most important thing about the model. It is a copy that stands out for purity and exclusivity, a nod to the past that not all manufacturers could afford. With that improved ratio of 2.9 kg / CV and the rest of the details, it wants to captivate its 50 lucky owners, who are surely already assigned. Its price? Talk about fees around 750,000 eurosalthough there is no official confirmation at the moment.
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