BMW has announced a strong presence at The Amelia, which will take place from Friday to Sunday (March 3-5) at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in northeastern Florida. Taking center stage will be the recently unveiled 2024 X5 and X6, together with the Competition-only X5 M facelift. Joining the luxury SUVs will be a historic 3.0 CSL E9 “Batmobile” race car. Chassis number 997 is one of the 19 original race-spec CSLs and the fourth one built.
Completing the track-only machine will be a road-going 3.0 CSL from the same E9 era. In 2022, BMW unveiled a modern successor as the highlight of the M division’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. However, the M4 CSL-based coupe has sadly not been homologated for the United States. Only 50 cars are being made, exclusively for left-hand-drive markets, and with the company’s most powerful inline-six ever.
Alongside the SUVs and the CSL pair will be a truly unique car as BMW intends to bring the only 507 Roadster built for the 1960 model year. Carrying chassis number 70240, the beautiful convertible was the final car to leave the Munich plant even though it wasn’t actually the last one built. The Bavarian brand says it’s one of the very few examples to be equipped from the factory with a removable hardtop.
The one-of-a-kind 507 Roadster has an interesting history as it was upgraded to the Surtees specification in the 1990s. Its 3.2-liter V8 engine was upgraded from the original 150 horsepower to approximately 165 hp. It has gone through repairs and maintenance over the decades, but the vehicle has never been fully restored by previous owners.
At The Amelia, BMW will have the wild-looking XM on display as the first dedicated M model since the mid-engined M1 coupe of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The company will also organize test drives with the latest 7 Series G70 and X7 facelift while an i7 xDrive60 will drive past the reviewing stand during Sunday’s Taking Charge Parade.
A day before, during Saturday’s Cars & Community gathering, more than 40 classic and modern BMWs spanning six decades of heritage will be at the BMW stand. Key models will include the very last Z4 M Coupe produced, a mint-condition 2001 M Coupe in Laguna Seca Blue, a 2003 X5 4.6i in Imola Red, and one of the 50 2001 X5 4.4is examples manufactured for the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.
During Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance, the V10-powered BMW-powered Williams FW22 will be there, wearing the No. 9 livery used during the 2000 Formula 1 season when it was driven by Ralf Schumacher.
Source: BMW
