German Car Zone

People just want to make excuses so their favorite brand doesn't have to face the embarrassment of being compared to the CSL. But then again I would too if my favorite brand made a car with a similar spartan interior gave it 580HP and even bigger wings and a $300,000 price tag and was still slower than the CSL around the ring.

Yup, I tried to find one in 98 before I got my car, but couldn't find one. It just bs when people says the CSL wouldn't have sold here in the US - a lot of people even deposited money with dealer to get in line for one when BMW first came out with theE46 M3 CSL concept.

Some quotes from BMW pressrelese regarding M3 E46 CSL:

- 360hp/370nm

- CSL = Coupé, Sport and Lightweight

- weighing approximately 110 kg (243 lb) less than the standard M3.

- Carbon fibre roof - six kilos lighter than a conventional roof, but also, through its exposed position, lowers the car's centre of gravity.

- Even the engine of the M3 CSL follows the principle of minimum weight, with the walls on the exhaust emission system being even thinner than usual and the air collector being made of carbon fibre.

- SMG Drivelogic has been re-designed and re-adjusted completely
for the M3 CSL.

- The brakes have also been modified for even more stopping power and faster deceleration

- The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres developed specifically for this car

- The purchaser of an M3 CSL often required to drive on wet roads may also opt for the forged 19-inch wheels featured on the standard M3.

- The glass-fibre-plastic bucket seats finished in a combination of Amaretta and fabric not only give the driver and front passenger optimum side support, but also tilt forwards conveniently to provide easy access to the two individually contoured seats at the rear. For reasons of weight, seat adjustment for length and height is manual.

- The rim of the M steering wheel featured as standard is finished in Alcantara providing a very good and secure grip.

- The car comes in only two exterior colours, Silver Grey Metallic and Black Sapphire Metallic.

- The significant but very tempting challenge the engineers at BMW M were happy to accept was to leave the outstanding chassis and suspension of the M3 unchanged

- This new dimension of agility is borne out in particular by the modified steering of the M3 CSL. Benefitting from an even more direct overall transmission ratio of 14.5:1 (versus 15.4:1 on the M3), the rack-and-pinion steering provides much more direct response and steering behaviour and offers cutting-edge precision in bends.

- And again reflecting the lightweight philosophy of the CSL, the entire exhaust system is made of pipes with even thinner walls at the side.





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Before the end of production for BMW M3 , BMW offered a competition package (CS) for the American market.
Include:
- steering ratio from M3 CSL
- M track mode from M3 CSL
- Brakes from M3 CSL
- Interlagos Blue, is offered only with this package.
- Steering wheel from M3 CSL

Pictures M3 CS , Competition Package

Here is the problem with statements like "all were spoken for", it doesn't mean much in the real world. It simply means that all the dealers have put in orders for the total production run, not that all the cars have actually been sold to actual people. The "facts" are that at least 2 dealers I know of had them on their showroom floors well into the next model years. They couldn't give them away. I'm speaking about the E36 M3 Lightweight/CSL, not the regular M3 or any other version. We didn't get the now outgoing M3 CSL here officially, the same as the European version likely because of the E36 LW's market struggle. The E30 M3 has nothing to do with what I'm talking about here.

The Carrera GT was all "spoken for" also, and yet dealers had them on their floors months into the next model year.

Also, you just answered your own question about how BMW claiming emissions kept the car out of the U.S. market, it didn't make financial sense etc.... In short if BMW USA thought there was a big enough market for the car it would have made "financial sense" because they would have sold enough to recoup the investment. The business case didn't support it because they couldn't sell enough of them for the business case to make sense. We all know BMW isn't going to give up on importing a car to the U.S. of A because of something like emissions.

M

Its year 2007 soon 2008 , a new era and with new possibilites. The next M3 V8 CSL will be sold in US, in limited edition of course.

BMw sold 85 M3 E36 CSL in US, the new M3 V8 CSL will beat that easily.

As long as the US gets the CSL, wich I assume, it will sell. Its not possible that all americans disslike a car like the CSL, otherwise the GT3 would not sell either. Anyone got an inside on how the GT3 sales are going? This just might be a case of the american market finally being ready for european style driving machines.

Edit: The US is an important market but if the people in that market does not appreciate this type of vehicle they will not get it.

Dude, did you fall and bump your head or something? I'm trying to school you to American likes and dislikes, and the bottom line is, we don't want some bare bones, whack as interior looking like it came straight out of the 1970 , ball bustin ride quality having, M3 CSL! And stop with the Porsche crap, BMW aint porsche Sunny, Bring this one dimensional M3 CSL to the USA and prepare to get your feeling hurt! That sh!t a be sitting there this time next century!

P.S I can only hope Audi and Mercedes don't feel the need to create such a car. If BMW can't make a serious performance car, with top notch creator comforts, then we should stop comparing BMW against Audi and Mercedes imo! Both those companys can accomodate both

Who asked you to "school" him what Americans like in the 1st place??? Fyi, he's from California, 2nd he didn't fall and bump his head, but kindly replied to your post. 3rd BMW can make serious performance car and has done that many years ago when both you and me were still dandling in our father's balls!

Get your $h!t together, Mr. NNOSSEUR! Your provocative behavior and constant bitching and bashing around here is quite annoying.

You have never come closer to a CSL then looking at the pictures in this tread and still... "ball busting ride", "interior from the 70's".. LFAO... What happened to the nice tone?

Oh, well, since you bring it to the floor, Porsche 911 GT3 and Ferrari Challenge Stradale was what the media at the time deemed to be the competition for the CSL, if you do not think so, fine.

I still hope Audi and Mercedes would venture towards building a proper enhusiasts sports car. You say they accomodate both and i think they do not.

If certain people want to continue this discussion you can PM me!