Introduced precisely one year ago, the 3.0 CSL served as a culmination of the M division’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Although BMW never announced the car’s price tag, many insiders claimed the M4 G82-based exclusive coupe was offered for €750,000. The rumored sticker price made many people skeptical about the company’s ability to sell the production run. However, the Bavarian marque had no issues in finding 50 buyers for its modern-day tribute to the E9 “Batmobile.”
Fast forward a year later, that price has gone up substantially as one of the 50 cars has now changed hands. RM Sotheby’s Munich auction included the #44 example, which went under the hammer for a hefty €900,000. Factoring in taxes and fees, the final price reached six figures, at €1,017,500. The new owner placed the winning bid via telephone and will add to their garage the most powerful BMW production car ever made with an inline-six engine.
Originally ordered on August 4 by the consigning owner from Bayern Avenue S.A.S. of Cannes, France, the 3.0 CSL has only 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) on the clock, effectively making it a brand-new car. As with all the other 49 examples, it’s finished in Alpine White with a black cabin featuring loads of Alcantara and carbon bucket seats. Much like the M4 CSL, it’s strictly a two-seater but with a six-speed manual gearbox instead of the eight-speed automatic.
Aside from the extra horsepower and the addition of a clutch pedal, the 3.0 CSL has a coachbuilt, hand-painted body that takes after its source of inspiration from 1973. To further set it apart from the M4 CSL, BMW installed center-lock wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires adorned by a “50” logo on the sidewall. Those wealthy buyers also received a scale model of the high-performance coupe, along with a bunch of artwork.
You’d be tempted to say this is now the most expensive BMW ever but that’s far from the truth. That honor goes to a 1957 507 Roadster (with a hardtop) that fetched a whopping £3,809,500 at a Bonhams auction back in 2018.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
