To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its performance M division, BMW will produce 50 examples of the 3.0 CSL. The coupe is a modern interpretation of the original 3.0 CSL from the early 1970s, which was the first BMW M standalone model. Production of its spiritual successor will begin this spring at the company’s plant in Dingolfing.
This is the place where BMW produces some of its most exclusive vehicles, including the M4 Coupe and Convertible, M5 and M8 Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe. Last year, that factory assembled around 50,000 BMW M machines but the target regarding the 3.0 CSL is 1,000 times smaller. The automaker will implement some unique production processes, despite the fact that the anniversary model is based on a standard-production M4 CSL body.
A dedicated new work area at the Dingolfing plant – the same shop where the M4 GT4 is also assembled – is where those special processes will be executed. The distinctive wheel arches, for example, are being widened using special beading and welding processes and are prepared for assembly.
The body is then transferred to the paint shop’s standard production process, but at a dedicated workstation. The 3.0 CSL’s special paintwork is applied by specialists. At the same time, other exterior components such as front side panels and bumpers are being finished at BMW’s neighboring plant in Landshut.
The final assembly is performed at a craft workshop set up specifically for the 3.0 CLS and located in Moosthenning, an external site also operated by BMW. A team of 30 experienced experts puts together the interior and marries the body with the chassis. From A to Z, the production process of a 3.0 CSL takes almost two weeks.
“We are proud to be entrusted with building such an iconic car. It underlines the wide range of models and technologies we have here on-site – from fully-electric BMW i models all the way to our M high-performance models. And it shows that, in addition to highly automated large-scale production, we also excel at hand-crafting cars,” Christoph Schrder, director of the plant in Dingilfing, comments.
