BMW has announced details of its forthcoming 3-Series M3 CSL version. Priced from £58,455 OTR 500 units will be available to UK buyers over the remaining six months of 2003. Standing for Coupe, Sport and Lightweight, the CSL is a stripped out and tuned version of the existing M3. It uses carbon fibre reinforced plastics, lightweight aluminium and glass fibre plastics to reduce weight by 110 kg from the standard vehicle. Many items considered unnecessary where removed from standard specification such as the air-conditioning and the radio. These items can be specified as optional equipment.

Engine:
- 3.2 liter six-cylinder gasoline unit, produces 360 bhp & 370 Nm of torque, gives an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h*, a claimed 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.9 seconds & emissions of 287 g/km, mated to the SMG manual sequential transmission

* - driver's who hold a racing licence can have the maximum speed de-restricted

CSL enhancements over standard M3:
- wider front track & modified suspension geometry
- modified brakes
- revised rack-and-pinion steering
- thinner exhaust walls
- larger air intake opening with carbon fibre air collector
- camshafts which allow longer valve openings
- optimised exhaust valves
- modified exhaust manifold

Standard equipment:
- M Track Mode function for DSC, steering wheel mounted button allows car to reach dynamic limits before operating
- Cloth Laser/Amaretta Reflex Pur Anthracite
- anthracite headlining
- Individual high gloss satin chrome
- Titanium Shadow interior trim
- Chrome gear ****
- contoured, glass fibre racing seats
- M Mobility tyre inflation system
- Black Sapphire or Silver Grey metallic paint
- 19" double spoke alloy wheels style 67M

No cost options:
- 19" M light alloy wheels M3 CSL with 235/35 ZR 19 (265/30 rear) Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires
- auto air-conditioning
- BMW Business radio/cassette
- no model inscription
- graduated tint front windscreen
- smokers pack

All M3 CSL customers will receive free driver's training worth GBP 850 when they purchase the car.

 

360bhp?

I thought they'd squeezed all they could out of that unit with the normal M3.

Obviously not

 

While not being a massive fan of the normal M3, although I have only driven a friends very, very slowly for fear of pranging it, the CSL sounbds like the real deal. I saw it lapping the 'ring late last yr and it was visibly faster than the normal M3's doing testing the same day. Can't wait to try and arrange a test drive when my local dealer gets one.

 

Do you know what is in the smokers pack ? A portable BMW ashtray and lighter !!!

 

Narco, I seriously doubt your local dealer will offer you (or me) a test drive!

 

He's a pal so I imagine I'll get to have a go if he gets one.

 

£58k

That's 996 territory!

 

Easy to get a test drive in a standard M3....

 

Bargain......

58 grand for a go faster 3 series BMW with less kit, 3 times the price of a basic 3 series, somebody, somewhere is laughing.

Why did they name it after a 3 peice suite company ?

M3 CSL

next one will be

M3 DFS

 

heres the review on the autotrader

link: http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/030610/4/1oo7i.html

(can someone do a clicky and teach me how to do it aswell)

 

 

It also looks pretty damn good.

 

i "need" one of these

 

I would sell my house for one of these, but the missus won't sleep in the boot!

 

Awesome. One of my favourite cars of the moment!

 

How is it a performance 'bargain'?

There are others as fast and faster for less money.

A BMW 3 series or Porsche 911 - no contest, who'd choose the repmobile??????? 911 everytime (well, i'd get a TVR, faster, far more cool, and costs loads less so I can afford the running costs/breakdowns etc.).

 

A normal 911 doesn't lap the ring in under 8 mins. This thing flies.

 

I get the feeling a few people don't understand just how much better this car is supposed to be over a stock M3, a TVR may be quicker straight-line but the CSL would trounce it in most areas.

 

I think it's about heritage and bloodline as well- if you read some comments I've put on other threads about M3's they really don't do much for me. This however is the real deal, a car that can trace it's heritage back to the CSL Batmobile and beyond.
It has F1 inspired tech, light(er)weight, quicker rack and more HP than an M3 as well as running on what look like semi-slicks. Any true car enthusiast will appreciate these finer points. That said let's wait until we can get a go in one before commenting!

 

I'm sure it's a fantastic car but it's still looks like a 3 series bmw and no doubt a million and one 318's will have the wheels and bodykit in no time. you can't pretend to have a 911 or TVR!

IF they'd change the body and uprated the interior to distinguish it from the 3 series then it'd justify it's very high price. Who wants to spend the best part of £60k on a car that looks pretty much like millions of repmobiles that 'grace' our roads.

Like I said, I'm sure it'll be a fantastic drive but it needs to be more than that for £60k.

 

9.5jx19inch wheels won't fit on a 318.

What is it missing? It does 60 in under 5 seconds, looks fantastic, will hold its value, will be very reliable and obviously handles! I hope we get one in at work...

The only thing I'm not keen on is the wheels, the normal 19" option wheels on the M3 look better.

Rich

 

FQ300 + STi PPP = £58,000

Performance bargain

 

Like I said before class and breeding

I like the Evo+Impreza

but as has been said before "It's not how fast you go, it's how you go fast"

The CSL is a class act, way faster than the FQ or StiPPP-unrestricted its going to be good for 180mph!

 

Class and breeding exactly...

I'm with Dracoro

Chris

 

yeah but considering its 58k you would like to expect more from BMW, you can quite easily buy a evo8 and bring it up to spec with the CSL and still have alot left over if you did want to opt for the CSL.

 

Lets face it

We all drive evo s and impreza to outrun these sort of cars.

But if we had the money to buy a proper car most of us would buy an m3 or m3 csl

I sell my evo tomorrow if i could have an normal m3 for the same sort of money.

i have an evo 7rs it rocks but if i let my heart speak i have an m3 anytime

you can tune evo s and sub and they are faster than m3 but m3 is a classy car wich you can drift all way thru the bends it rocks and you can go drive from london to scotland with ease.

4wd is nice but RWD rocks

4wd makes bad drivers look good
Try a RWD m3 with dsc off on a wet track lots of guys are standing feet shaking in the pits if they survive one lap.

subaru s and evo s are such easy cars in there handling thats why they are rallycars meant for slippery surfaces

i don t even attend trackdays anymore which are dry with my evo7RS don t like it anymore. Wet ones are nice.

I think i am saving up for an M3



andre

 

RWD is surely the choice of the driving purist? Or do we all like our 4WD cars which ultimately understeer- even the sorted ones.

I'm not BMW biggest fan (in fact it would be fair to say I dislike the image as much as the Impreza image)

Fact is this is a good looking, focussed drivers car and as such we should all be wetting our knickers at the fact BMW made it. Long live fast cars cos it won't be too long before we are all driving satelite controlled boxes.

 

58K is way to much IMHO.

For sure it's a fantastic car with a real pedigree but with Aston's Bentley's, Porsche and Ferarri's(admitedly not new) around that price it's got it's work cut out

Let's face it, given a choice between a new super M3 or a second hand Ferarri 550 which way would most of us jump?

 

I will need to win the lottery!

 

Despite what I've said I'd probably take a 911 over the M3CSL, maybe not the 2nd hand Ferrari they are just too expensive to run and use everyday.
I think we are forgetting this things is a 4 seater wuseable every day and even more practical than the Porsche. Given a choice between one of these or an RS6 or Maser I'd go for the CSL.