If you want to revive a classic, putting the world’s most powerful inline-six certainly helps
This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for a multitude of things. Faith, Family, and BMW’s new production rocketship. BMW has just turned back the clock with an homage to an old racing classic. Named the 3.0 CSL, it’s a not-so subtle ode to the 1972 original copy with the same name.
Made as a homologation vehicle for the brand to compete in the European Touring Car Championship, the initial car was based off the BMW E9. In 2015, BMW created a modern concept based on their interpretation of flipping the time machine forward. The ‘15 version was dubbed the Batmobile, not because Christian Bale drove it, you won’t find Robert Pattison here either. Quite the opposite, in fact, BMW attempts to play the role of supervillain with the CSL because treat it the wrong way and it’ll kill you.
A Take Over the World Style Engine
Make no mistake, this isn’t a jazzed-up M4 with a Mad Max style body kit, BMW insists that the 3.0 CSL’s bodywork is all unique. While the CSL shares some of its guts and clockwork with the M4, this is a whole ‘nother beast. The outer shell is reminiscent of most BMWs but strays from the present day norm. With a smaller grill, a bulging hood, and an aero kit that’ll rival most 747s, it goes against the rather suppressed yet obnoxious visage that most of the new-generation BMWs have. The Batmobile isn’t afraid to take a promenade down memory lane either.
Like an uncle telling anyone that’ll listen that he would’ve won state if the coach just put him in, the CSL talks a big game about its past. Bulging fenders and a massive rear wing setup throwback the original motif, along with the rest of its ridiculous aerodynamic design— earning itself the Batmobile nickname. Yellow-hued running lights draw a parallel between the CSL and the M4 CSL which comes at a pretty premium over the standard M4 giving an apparent indication of the Batmobile’s status in the BMW lineup.
The bulky fender flares and wider body give way to specially wrapped Michelin rubbers over top BBS style gold-flashed wheels. To make those wheels turn, BMW gave the Batmobile its own superpower; the twin-turbocharged 3.0 L inline-six found in both the M3 and the M4. Tuned and built, the company gave the engine a new MO, making it the most powerful inline-six ever found in a production car spewing out 553 horses on top of the unchanged 406 lb-ft sent directly to the rear wheels by rowing your own gears via a six-speed manual.
Livery From the 70’s
On top of the Pacific Rim-esque design, we see a throwback to BMW’s original circa 1972 design. White accented by BMW M Division’s iconic blue and red. The massive “50” on the sides represents the 50th anniversary of the 3.0 CSL, and what a way to celebrate. Giving gearheads the ability to row their own gears in a fire breathing monster might’ve been enough, instead BMW opted to give enthusiasts a perfect handling package as well.
With nearly all of the bodywork being developed with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), the CSL is obliged to be one of the brand’s lightest and agile cars yet. Pair that with the deletion of the rear seats, an added M Adaptive suspension system, a lightweight crankshaft, and 3D printed parts in lieu of heavier ones and you end up with a true track demon. Bringing the CSL to a halt will be standard carbon ceramic brakes that we calculated to be larger than the original CSL’s total wheel size.
Only 50 will ever be made and all 50 of those build slots were all gone at the time of this writing, just going to show how deep the fanbase would dive for one of these vehicles. Toss in the fact that this is a future collector’s item, and the unique value proposition skyrockets. Pricing has not been shared but we can bet it’ll be north of the $200,000 mark as the M4 CSL retails for around $140,000.
