Germany’s Sport Auto magazine has built a proverbial bridge through time by putting the legendary 3.0 CSL E9 next to its modern-day equivalent, the M4 CSL. It’s a rare occasion to see the iconic 1970s “Batmobile” on the same circuit as the high-performance coupe, depicted here in Alpine White. Despite being a race car of significant monetary and historical value, the 6 Series E24’s predecessor was pushed quite hard at Hockenheim.
It wasn’t a duel in the truest sense of the word since the laps weren’t timed as Sport Auto reports the track conditions were less than ideal. Of course, we can’t blame them for not driving the vintage CSL at full tilt as the slippery surface could’ve resulted in a costly crash. Not the M4 CSL is exactly cheap either, and with only 1,000 cars to be built, it’s also bound to remain a fairly rare car.
Interestingly, Sport Auto decided to put the two CSLs on a scale and the weight difference reminds us of how fat cars have gotten in recent decades. Of course, it’s not a fair comparison since we’re comparing a purpose-built race car with a street-legal vehicle. The original Coupe Sport Lightweight tipped the scales at 1,190 kilograms (2,623 pounds) whereas the M4 CSL weighed 1,620 kg (3,571 lbs). Doing the math, the new one is 430 kg (948 lbs) heavier, so it’s carrying around the equivalent weight of an Isetta, give or take a few kilos.
As a refresher, BMW is making another M4-based car destined to be even closer to the spirit of the E9 with its wild aerodynamic package. Simply known as the 3.0 CSL, it’s based on the M4 CSL but with a bit more horsepower and a manual gearbox. It gets a mostly hand-painted body with visual nods to its source of inspiration. Price? Well, the only unit coming to Spain out of a total production run of 50 cars will be sold through a private auction at a starting bid of €800,000.
Source: Sport Auto / YouTube
