Following yesterday’s online reveal, the modernized CSL 3.0 has arrived in Munich where it is currently on display at BMW Welt. This is the “00” prototype which will be followed by 50 customer cars, each believed to cost €750,000. To put that exorbitant price tag into perspective, the figure is more than eight times higher than the money you’d pay in Germany for a basic rear-wheel drive M4 with manual transmission, from €89,900.
It sure looks spectacular, although we think the 2015 Hommage 3.0 CSL and subsequent Hommage R are even more special. BMWBLOG had the opportunity to get up close and personal with a fresh take on the Sport Lightweight Coupe, which carries the classic Motorsport roundels that signify 50 years of the M. The large “M Power” logo on the rear wing is also a throwback to the past. .
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BMW says there are no less than 134 paint processes for each car, which requires an additional 6,700 series of manual work in the paint shop. Almost everything you see painted in Alpine white uni is made of hand-painted carbon composite. The material was left exposed only to the roof and rear wing lettering. The 22 individual parts require special processing not used by other M4 derivatives.
As well as having the anniversary livery, the 3.0 2023 CSL also gets centerlock wheels and a slick redesigned kidney grille that we can get behind. The protruding wheel arches are also unique to the limited edition special edition, as are the air fins at the front. At the rear, a wing spoiler and roof edge pay homage to the original E9 3.0 CSL from the 1970s.
Besides the tempting price, there is another drawback to the 3.0 CSL as it has significantly less torque than the M4 CSL and M4 Competition. At 550 Newton-meters (404 pound-feet), you lose 100 Nm (74 lb-ft). BMW didn’t say why, but the difference likely stems from using a manual gearbox which prompted engineers to lower torque to ensure transmission reliability.
On the other hand, the 3.0 CSL uses the most powerful inline-six ever installed in an M road car. It produces 553 hp (412 kW) in a vehicle that weighs 1,624 kilograms (3,580 pounds), which is more than 350 kg (770+ lbs) more than its inspiration, the E9 3.0 CSL. Cars have gotten bigger and heavier over the years, and even the two-seater coupe is as big as the 7 Series E23.
Ultimately, the XM and 3.0 CSL plug-in hybrid SUV is not the niche supercar BMW enthusiasts want for the M 50 division.th birthday. Perhaps it will one day because the true successor to the mid-engined M1 has been long overdue.
