The culmination of BMW’s festivities related to the M division’s 50th anniversary in 2022, the 3.0 CSL has landed in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Only 50 cars are being made but this is the 00/50 prototype owned by the German luxury brand, along with two other test vehicles we’ve seen wearing the retro-flavored camouflage. The special car was filmed while sitting on top of BMW’s stand at the show, which runs until July 16.
At €750,000 or $750,000 depending on who you’re asking, the 3.0 CSL is the most expensive new car BMW has ever made. All of them are going to look exactly like this, painted in Alpine White with an M motif while riding on gold-painted center-lock wheels. Underneath the all-new bodywork is essentially an M4 CSL but with a manual gearbox and 553 horsepower, making it the most potent inline-six car BMW has ever made.
It gets a fresh take on the vertical kidney grille we’re hoping to see on regular production models in the near future, although it’s just wishful thinking at this point. At the rear, the M Power-branded wing takes after the original 3.0 CSL E9 “Batmobile,” and there’s a roof spoiler as well. BMW extensively used carbon fiber reinforced plastic, with CFRP mostly made by hand found on just about all body panels, including the hood, roof, trunk lid, front and rear aprons, not to mention the rear diffuser, side sills, and the two rear aero elements.
As for the interior, it largely retains the M4 CSL’s two-seat layout with the previous-generation iDrive, but with a white gear shifter knob and a third pedal. As expected, the 3.0 CSL is individually numbered as each car comes with a special plaque denoting its spot in the production sequence. Over 100 people work on these cars and fit them with an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, an anthracite headliner, and matte carbon trim.
Despite the exorbitant price tag and the left-hand-drive-only configuration, all 50 examples have long been sold. BMW didn’t homologate the 3.0 CSL in the United States, but to our knowledge, two of them have reached North America as show-and-display cars.
Source: Evolve Automotive
