1972 BMW 3.0CSL E9 vs. 2003 M3 CSL E46

The 3.0 CSL and its contemporary, the 2002 Turbo, laid the foundations for BMW’s ‘ultimate driving machine’ adventure. Along with their less powerful but still charming siblings, they pointed the way to BMW’s modern car-making template: mixing the excitement and drama of the better Italian sports saloons and coupes with the reliability and quality of a German car. It’s been paying dividends ever since.

3.0 CSL (1972-1975)

M3 CSL (2003-2004)

LIGHT AND MIGHTY

The CSL was the ultimate manifestation of the E9 CS coupe. It was an homologation racing special (the L was for leicht, or light) built to put extra sporting sparkle into BMW’s burgeoning reputation. As board member Bob Lutz noted around the time of the CSL’s launch in 1972, a car company is like a human being. ‘As long as it goes in for sports, it is fit, well trained, full of enthusiasm and performance.’

It was upgraded in 1973 to the spec you see here: large air dam, fins running along the front wings plus that vast rear wing. The aero addenda earned it the name of Batmobile. Power came from a 3.2-litre 206bhp version of the new M30 straight-six, an engine configuration soon to become BMW’s mechanical signature. It was the greatest BMW of its day, a car which perfectly illustrated the Munich maker’s sporting flair, beyond simply being BMW’s most successful track car.

I have driven a few 3.0 CSLs on road and track and by some margin it’s my favourite BMW of the era. Stand-out special features include the bowl-like glasshouse: its thin elegant pillars give a stunning view of the road and allow for a cabin bathed in light. The superb engine revs smoothly and energetically and roars with distinction. The handling is also excellent. It’s a car that can dance on its toes with great agility yet dig deep on its heels when accelerating hard out of corners.

The other great CSL came just over 30 years later. The M3 CSL of 2003 remains the finest M3, and probably the best car M division has ever built. It was the finest iteration of the E46 M3, the third M3, and a return to form after the disappointing E36 (less fun and less successful on the track than its predecessor, the E30). CSL embellishments include a more powerful 355bhp 3.2-litre engine, a carbonfibre roof to shave weight, a sportier chassis, fewer comforts (the air con was optional) and one of the first uses of quasi-track tyres on a road car: Michelin Pilot semi-slicks.

It is a quite sublime driver’s car: beautifully balanced, superbly throttle-responsive and fast. As with all the greatest sports cars, the M3 CSL’s highlight is the engine. It zings to a heady 8200rpm and sings like no turbo ever could. The E46 is also the last M3 powered by a naturally-aspirated BMW straight-six, reason enough for veneration and celebration.

TECHNICAL DATA 3.0 CSL (E9)

Homologation rules’ gift to the world

POWERTRAIN 3153cc 12v straight-six, four-speed manual, rear-wheel drivePERFORMANCE 206bhp @ 5600rpm, 211lb ft @ 4300rpm6.8 sec 0-60mphMAX SPEED 136mphLEGACY Six European Touring Car Championships

TECHNICAL DATA M3 CSL (E46)

Big shoes. Fills them

POWERTRAIN 3246cc 24v straight-six, six-speed paddleshift, rear-wheel drivePERFORMANCE 355bhp @ 7900rpm, 273lb ft @ 4900rpm4.9sec 0-62mphMAX SPEED 155mph (limited)LEGACY The finest M3 ever built