M3 CSL
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sithwarrior
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Hey Guys,
This is what the CSl is all about - Back in the early 1970s, CSL stood for Coupe Sport Lightweight and adorned the decklid of BMW's elegant grand touring coupe, the 3.0 CS. Introduced in 1971, the 3.0 CSL was a racing version of the 3.0 CS that featured wider tires, suspension tweaks and lightweight body components such as a Plexiglas rear window and fiberglass bumpers. The 3.0-liter inline six produced 200 horsepower, good enough to sprint from 0 to 60 in around 7 seconds. The CSL was produced for homologation purposes, meaning that BMW had to produce a minimum number available for sale to the general public to allow the car to be campaigned in certain racing series. Production of the CSL ended in 1975, with a total of 1,039 units.
Apart from the limited-edition M3 "Lightweight" back in 1995, it has taken nearly three decades for the CSL to return...sort of. BMW says it has no plans to produce the car at this time. Nonetheless, let's examine what could (hopefully) be.
To earn the CSL badge, the already scintillating M3 loses 440 pounds and gains around 20 more horsepower (for a total of "over 350" according to BMW). The M3 becomes leaner by ditching the side airbags, rear seat and trunk-mounted toolkit and by using liberal amounts of carbon-fiber for the doors, roof, trunklid and side-view mirrors. Further weight savings is gained via the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic for the racing-style bucket seats, interior door panels, center console and instrument panel.
The fruits of the engineers' labors are mathematically expressed by an improvement in the power-to-weight ratio from the M3's 9.6 pounds/horsepower to the CSL version's 7.7 lb/hp. Imagine a 160-pound runner competing in two identical 10K races; one where he competes in normal racing trim (a singlet, shorts and running shoes) and the other where he has to take a 40-pound backpack along for the ride. He'd be like an M3 CSL in the former race and like a standard M3 in the latter.
The additional ponies are gained by reducing internal frictional losses and by stream-lining the intake charge pathways. Transferring the power is a quick sequential manual gearbox, dubbed SMG (for Sequential M Gearbox) that is shifted with paddles on the steering wheel and without the driver having to work a clutch pedal. Keeping the CSL's awesome kinetic energy in check are huge, 18-inch disc brakes and 19-inch alloy wheels shod with ultra-high-performance Michelin rubber.
The beauty of low curb weight, lots of power and a balanced chassis cannot be under-estimated by those whose televisions are constantly tuned to Speedvision and who would rather challenge themselves in an autocross event than watch a football game in some crowded stadium. The dynamic proof of "lighter is better" was discovered when the CSL covered the northern portion of Germany's fierce Nurburgring racetrack in under 8 minutes, a time that beat the already impressive production M3 by nearly 30 seconds. Or, to put it into highly technical racing terms, the standard M3 got spanked.
This is what the CSl is all about - Back in the early 1970s, CSL stood for Coupe Sport Lightweight and adorned the decklid of BMW's elegant grand touring coupe, the 3.0 CS. Introduced in 1971, the 3.0 CSL was a racing version of the 3.0 CS that featured wider tires, suspension tweaks and lightweight body components such as a Plexiglas rear window and fiberglass bumpers. The 3.0-liter inline six produced 200 horsepower, good enough to sprint from 0 to 60 in around 7 seconds. The CSL was produced for homologation purposes, meaning that BMW had to produce a minimum number available for sale to the general public to allow the car to be campaigned in certain racing series. Production of the CSL ended in 1975, with a total of 1,039 units.
Apart from the limited-edition M3 "Lightweight" back in 1995, it has taken nearly three decades for the CSL to return...sort of. BMW says it has no plans to produce the car at this time. Nonetheless, let's examine what could (hopefully) be.
To earn the CSL badge, the already scintillating M3 loses 440 pounds and gains around 20 more horsepower (for a total of "over 350" according to BMW). The M3 becomes leaner by ditching the side airbags, rear seat and trunk-mounted toolkit and by using liberal amounts of carbon-fiber for the doors, roof, trunklid and side-view mirrors. Further weight savings is gained via the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic for the racing-style bucket seats, interior door panels, center console and instrument panel.
The fruits of the engineers' labors are mathematically expressed by an improvement in the power-to-weight ratio from the M3's 9.6 pounds/horsepower to the CSL version's 7.7 lb/hp. Imagine a 160-pound runner competing in two identical 10K races; one where he competes in normal racing trim (a singlet, shorts and running shoes) and the other where he has to take a 40-pound backpack along for the ride. He'd be like an M3 CSL in the former race and like a standard M3 in the latter.
The additional ponies are gained by reducing internal frictional losses and by stream-lining the intake charge pathways. Transferring the power is a quick sequential manual gearbox, dubbed SMG (for Sequential M Gearbox) that is shifted with paddles on the steering wheel and without the driver having to work a clutch pedal. Keeping the CSL's awesome kinetic energy in check are huge, 18-inch disc brakes and 19-inch alloy wheels shod with ultra-high-performance Michelin rubber.
The beauty of low curb weight, lots of power and a balanced chassis cannot be under-estimated by those whose televisions are constantly tuned to Speedvision and who would rather challenge themselves in an autocross event than watch a football game in some crowded stadium. The dynamic proof of "lighter is better" was discovered when the CSL covered the northern portion of Germany's fierce Nurburgring racetrack in under 8 minutes, a time that beat the already impressive production M3 by nearly 30 seconds. Or, to put it into highly technical racing terms, the standard M3 got spanked.
skar19
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ok here it goes....
it was 2.02 am i was having a drink with Dingchavez at Nasi Kandar Penang in TTDI. There is a straight road there were lots of cars lovwe to sprint down to catch the attention of the ppl sitting at the mamaks at both ends or they are just lured into the straight empty roads at this hour. There were a couple of wiras and hondas pulling thier cars on that straight. a few minutes later i heard a loud, high pitched, screaming sound coming from my right. i thought to myself that this sounded really familiar...i have heard this somewhere before.....i turned my head to take a look at what was coming our way......a ferrari? a lambo? what ? what was it? one thing for sure it had more than four cyclinders. The beast had passed through my vision bracket....all i could see what a greyish colour blurr in front of me. from where i was sitting i could see atleast 25 to 30 m of straight road and the car was a complete blur (btw my vision is fine). only when i turned my head left i saw the rear boot spoiler and what looked like a single digit plate, but i wasnt sure about the plate but the spoiler was inmistakably the CSL one, the gear change was too fast for it to be a manual, the driver had pulled from first gear, passed us at second gear and the time i caught a view of the rear spoiler he was hitting third gear......then the CSL was gone.
All my life in TTDI i have never seen so many ppl turn thier head on both sides of the street. The sound was trully savage and the acceleration was unbelievable. the driver made every car which dragged on that street slow.
how do i know it was a CSL...well you can say that i watched the Top Gear episode which reviewed the CSL on the Isle of Mann like 20 times. If you people want to see the review come to the TT and i ll bring the CD along.
Its not everyday you get to see BMW's best in action in real life.
it was 2.02 am i was having a drink with Dingchavez at Nasi Kandar Penang in TTDI. There is a straight road there were lots of cars lovwe to sprint down to catch the attention of the ppl sitting at the mamaks at both ends or they are just lured into the straight empty roads at this hour. There were a couple of wiras and hondas pulling thier cars on that straight. a few minutes later i heard a loud, high pitched, screaming sound coming from my right. i thought to myself that this sounded really familiar...i have heard this somewhere before.....i turned my head to take a look at what was coming our way......a ferrari? a lambo? what ? what was it? one thing for sure it had more than four cyclinders. The beast had passed through my vision bracket....all i could see what a greyish colour blurr in front of me. from where i was sitting i could see atleast 25 to 30 m of straight road and the car was a complete blur (btw my vision is fine). only when i turned my head left i saw the rear boot spoiler and what looked like a single digit plate, but i wasnt sure about the plate but the spoiler was inmistakably the CSL one, the gear change was too fast for it to be a manual, the driver had pulled from first gear, passed us at second gear and the time i caught a view of the rear spoiler he was hitting third gear......then the CSL was gone.
All my life in TTDI i have never seen so many ppl turn thier head on both sides of the street. The sound was trully savage and the acceleration was unbelievable. the driver made every car which dragged on that street slow.
how do i know it was a CSL...well you can say that i watched the Top Gear episode which reviewed the CSL on the Isle of Mann like 20 times. If you people want to see the review come to the TT and i ll bring the CD along.
Its not everyday you get to see BMW's best in action in real life.
skar19
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The current M3 CSL puts out 355 Bhp for a 3.2L
The boot lid is plastic, the roof is carbon fibre, it has near racing slick tyres, the floor of the boot is cardboard and the rear window is made from special thin glass, there is no heater, radio, AC, no electric seats.
The boot lid is plastic, the roof is carbon fibre, it has near racing slick tyres, the floor of the boot is cardboard and the rear window is made from special thin glass, there is no heater, radio, AC, no electric seats.
The CSL actually comes in 2 colours, Black Sapphire Metallic and Steel Grey Metallic.
The whole body panel is from body-coloured carbon fibre.
The front flaps, roof and exhaust piece(not the silver coulor one lah, the one above the pipes) is from rigid carbon fibre.
The whole body panel is from body-coloured carbon fibre.
The front flaps, roof and exhaust piece(not the silver coulor one lah, the one above the pipes) is from rigid carbon fibre.
Are you talking abt this car?http://bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4479
A
Alvin
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Dude
The boot is CF & so is the roof & bonnet. Floor of the boot is definately not cardboard lar. You are right about the rear mirror & side windows. Like the E30 M3 it is thinner. As for tires you have 2 options - Std Michelin PS2's or opt for the Pilot club Sport which is similar to the semi slicks on 19".
ONCE AGAIN PEOPLE! The E46 M3CSL does come with heater/aircon & radio but no electric seats. However its the owners option whether he wants it or not. So unless the owner using it for track only then he will opt out of these accesories. There is also another option that is the owner has a racing licience, BMW M will remove the speed limiter of 155mph.
No rain sensor tho
beemaro
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1. At the top end, the difference in speed is all split second.Originally posted by adliz@Sep 20 2005, 12:07 PM
that car can easily keep up with a 996 turbo.. straight line, just a wee bit slower.. but can tapau cayenne turbo..
2. cayenne turbo is a 2.2 tonnes vehicle....cannot compare w M3 but its still the fastest suv
3. therefore, cannot compare w 911 esp turbo version. totally diff animal. shud compare with the AMG/RS vehicles
DingChavez
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Alvin
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Then he should say that. It would be misintepreted by other forumers if not. Jeremy also said many things about cars he dislike.
skar19
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sorry for not quoting, yes jeremy clarkson did say he didnt like the traction control...it should be turned off, he didnt like the sports button....'why isnt it more sporty all the time' and the other one was the button that adjusted something with the SMG gearbox....he said that it would have been better if it were a manual. ---those were the main dislikes.
but then again i wouldnt know cos i have never driven one.
not only that.Originally posted by adliz@Sep 21 2005, 01:07 AM
that car can easily keep up with a 996 turbo.. straight line, just a wee bit slower.. but can tapau cayenne turbo..
i watched a video of best motoring's and a csl can out handle a 996 turbo.
the best part is, it just shot past a FERRARI 360 MODENA with no difficulties.
plus, the modena ended up last.
