A few weeks ago, Evolve Automotive revealed their BMW M3 Touring “CSL” project. It’s a pretty cool build that takes some of the CSL’s philosophy, along with some actual CSL bits, and applies it to the M3 Touring to make a more exciting, more special version of an already very special car. In this new video from Mat Watson, we get to check it out up close and personal and Watson drives it to see what the additions have done to it.
Visually, Evolve’s M3 Touring CSL is much better looking than the standard car and, ironically, most of the reason why has nothing to do with its CSL parts. The biggest two reasons why Evolve’s car looks better are the lowered ride height, thanks to multi-stage lowering springs, and the wheel spacers. As Mat Watson rightly points out, spacers can fudge with a car’s stock suspension geometry but it’s likely not going to do anything noticeable here. The M4 CSL wheels look epic though.
As for the front end, it has the entire M4 CSL face, including the actual stock M4 CSL grille, front bumper, and lower carbon front lip. If you just look at its face, you’d think you were looking at an M4 CSL. It also has an M4 CSL engine bay strut brace, which looks better than the factory one.
However, some of its other upgrades are CSL-like and not actually from the M4 CSL. For instance, it has an Eventuri intake, which is a big upgrade over the standard M3 intake. It also has a Remus exhaust, which is titanium like the M4 CSL but actually sounds better. All in, it’s a really cool looking and sounding car and one that I can see many owners trying to replicate. But how does it drive?
Watson takes it out on some very wet roads in this new video. While he wasn’t able to push it hard, he did realize that it rides much more comfortably than the standard car. It’s smoother and more compliant, despite being lower, thanks to its dual spring rates at the front and triple spring rates at the back. He also notices just how much better it sounds, thanks to both the Remus exhaust and Eventuri intake. The latter doesn’t just improve the sound, though, it improves the engine’s response. But we already knew that from watching other M3 Touring owners use the same intake and say the same thing.
This is a very cool build from Evolve and it will be cool to see if they start offering CSL kits for the M3 Touring. Hopefully more owners do cool stuff like this to their cars.
