Eurokars Group showcases 1-in-50 BMW 3.0 CSL in Singapore
22 Feb 2024|2,957 views
Adding to the pantheon of hyper-exclusive cars one might not expect to ever see in Singapore, Eurokars Group has pulled the covers off the rarest machine to come out of BMW M's hallowed gates in recent memory: The BMW 3.0 CSL.
The car was specially showcased to members of the media on 21 February 2024 at the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre, housed within the larger, recently-opened Eurokars Centre. Sgcarmart understands that Eurokars Group owns the unit on display, while the model is not intended for sale in Singapore or in the region.
As for the backstory of the 3.0 CSL, we'll need to do some history-browsing to dive fully into things.
It wasn't too long ago - 2022, to be exact - that BMW celebrated the 50th anniversary of BMW M. Singapore was treated its fair share of the festivities then, but even more tantalising was a series of international launches to celebrate the motorsport division's golden jubilee. Among these were 50 Jahre Editions for the BMW M3 and M4, the first-ever XM and M3 Touring, the all-new M2, and the limited-run M4 CSL.
That the 3.0 CSL was chosen to cap the year off, however, was likely a decision meticulously considered and executed by the division.
The unit currently showcased at BMW Eurokars Experience Centre is the #13 car
The razor-thin volume of production set aside for the model already clues one in on its status: Only 50 consecutively-numbered units have been produced worldwide, all of which were completed within a three-month period in BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. Interestingly, the one we managed to get up close with was car Number #13 out of 50.
Ardent fans of the brand should immediately know that the 'CSL' in the car's name refers to 'Coupe, Sport, Lightweight'. After a period of dormancy, the 3.0 CSL marks one of the rare instances in which the term has been revived again, following in the footsteps of the M4 CSL. The other timeless icon bearing these three letters, of course, is the E46 M3 CSL - which has also been brought out for display at the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre.
Still, it's worth remembering that the fuller '3.0 CSL' moniker isn't new.
The lineage to the Batmobile of the 1970s is crystal clear through details such as the 'fins' on the fenders (pictured) and circular front air intakes, as well as a roof spoiler and massive rear wing
It was first bestowed upon a homologation special - heavily derived from the E9 3.0 CS Coupe in the early 1970s - for the European Touring Championship. The original 3.0 CSL has since been retrospectively recognised as BMW M's first official racing project. As a result of its aggressive, aerodynamics-oriented bodywork, it has also grown over the decades to be affectionately known as the 'Batmobile'.
The Batmobile's imprints remain all over the modern 3.0 CSL of today: From the circular intakes on the front bumper, to the 'fins' on the fenders, and of course, to the roof spoiler and massive wing at the rear. The car even gets roundels of the brand's badge (encircled in the 50th Anniversary design) on its C-pillars, as the original 3.0 CSL did, while its unique, upright kidney grilles are inspired by those on its ancestor.
Though derived from the M4 CSL, BMW has made it clear that the 3.0 CSL is heavily bespoke, with a huge amount of attention dedicated to weight reduction.
M Carbon bucket seats up front; no seats in the rear: The 3.0 CSL ditches a second row for a luggage compartment instead, with storage for helmets
For starters, don't expect to see a second row when you swing its doors open; you'll get a luggage compartment (with netting for helmets) instead.
Meanwhile, the driver and their sole passenger are nestled in full-carbon bucket seats, while carbon fibre, and glass- and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) feature heavily throughout the rest of the car's bodywork. BMW says the carbon components were manufactured not just largely by hand, but also exclusively for the model.
On that note, come up close to the 3.0 CSL and you'll realise that any area that appears to be black is actually unpainted carbon-fibre weave. As evidence of the painstaking attention to detail here, it apparently took six full days for every 3.0 CSL to be painted by hand in Alpine White uni and BMW M's three iconic colours.
CFRP features heavily throughout the car's bodywork for maximised weight reduction
Other bespoke elements that should jump out to you externally include the 3.0 CSL's Y-spoke design wheels (in staggered sizes; 20-inches front, 21-inches rear). These are finished in gold, and shod in bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 4s marked with the number '50'.
But perhaps even more exciting is what awaits inside and underneath.
Although 'turbocharged straight-six' is not an unfamiliar phrase in the House of BMW, what gives the engine under the 3.0 CSL's hood special status is its unparalleled power. Churning out 552bhp and 550Nm of torque, this marks the most powerful straight-six to be fitted to a road-legal BMW.
The 3.0 CSL boasts something unique and truly special under the hood: The most powerful turbocharged straight-six to be given to a road-legal BMW yet, churning out 552bhp and 550Nm of torque. Power is sent solely to the rear wheels in the car, via a six-speed manual transmission
Just as importantly, however, the 3.0 CSL has been expressly designed to be as involving as possible from behind the wheel. Its immense firepower is transmitted solely to the rear wheels, and via a six-speed manual transmission too. All of this is said to deliver the ultimate 'purist' experience to drivers… of which there will be precious few.
As mentioned, the 3.0 CSL will not be going on sale in Singapore, but it's likely it would have found only an elite handful of buyers anyway.
Based on a €770,000 price tag, we're told that the car could cost around $1.6 million unregistered. Throw in all the paperwork necessary to drive it with a Singaporean license plate... and we might be looking at a figure between $3.3 million to $3.6 million.
While actually driving the 3.0 CSL remains squarely out of reach, you can still get a pseudo-experience behind the wheel. As part of the ongoing showcase, the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre has welcomed a BMW Racing Simulator that is open to the public, and apparently designed to "mirror every detail" of the CSL.
Winners of the Beat-The-Clock Racing Challenge will get the opportunity to win a miniature version of the 3.0 CSL
In tandem, the Centre will run a Beat-The-Clock Racing Challenge from 22 February 2024 to 18 March 2024. To enter the challenge, participants need only follow the BMW Eurokars Instagram account, take their best shot at the simulator and capture their timings on the screen, and post them to the platform while tagging '@bmweurokarsautosg'. Winners will be announced every Wednesday through the competition period, with something tantalising up for grabs: A 1:18 scale BMW 3.0 CSL Miniature.
Adding to the pantheon of hyper-exclusive cars one might not expect to ever see in Singapore, Eurokars Group has pulled the covers off the rarest machine to come out of BMW M's hallowed gates in recent memory: The BMW 3.0 CSL.
The car was specially showcased to members of the media on 21 February 2024 at the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre, housed within the larger, recently-opened Eurokars Centre. Sgcarmart understands that Eurokars Group owns the unit on display, while the model is not intended for sale in Singapore or in the region.
As for the backstory of the 3.0 CSL, we'll need to do some history-browsing to dive fully into things.
It wasn't too long ago - 2022, to be exact - that BMW celebrated the 50th anniversary of BMW M. Singapore was treated its fair share of the festivities then, but even more tantalising was a series of international launches to celebrate the motorsport division's golden jubilee. Among these were 50 Jahre Editions for the BMW M3 and M4, the first-ever XM and M3 Touring, the all-new M2, and the limited-run M4 CSL.
That the 3.0 CSL was chosen to cap the year off, however, was likely a decision meticulously considered and executed by the division.
The unit currently showcased at BMW Eurokars Experience Centre is the #13 car
The razor-thin volume of production set aside for the model already clues one in on its status: Only 50 consecutively-numbered units have been produced worldwide, all of which were completed within a three-month period in BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. Interestingly, the one we managed to get up close with was car Number #13 out of 50.
Ardent fans of the brand should immediately know that the 'CSL' in the car's name refers to 'Coupe, Sport, Lightweight'. After a period of dormancy, the 3.0 CSL marks one of the rare instances in which the term has been revived again, following in the footsteps of the M4 CSL. The other timeless icon bearing these three letters, of course, is the E46 M3 CSL - which has also been brought out for display at the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre.
Still, it's worth remembering that the fuller '3.0 CSL' moniker isn't new.
The lineage to the Batmobile of the 1970s is crystal clear through details such as the 'fins' on the fenders (pictured) and circular front air intakes, as well as a roof spoiler and massive rear wing
It was first bestowed upon a homologation special - heavily derived from the E9 3.0 CS Coupe in the early 1970s - for the European Touring Championship. The original 3.0 CSL has since been retrospectively recognised as BMW M's first official racing project. As a result of its aggressive, aerodynamics-oriented bodywork, it has also grown over the decades to be affectionately known as the 'Batmobile'.
The Batmobile's imprints remain all over the modern 3.0 CSL of today: From the circular intakes on the front bumper, to the 'fins' on the fenders, and of course, to the roof spoiler and massive wing at the rear. The car even gets roundels of the brand's badge (encircled in the 50th Anniversary design) on its C-pillars, as the original 3.0 CSL did, while its unique, upright kidney grilles are inspired by those on its ancestor.
Though derived from the M4 CSL, BMW has made it clear that the 3.0 CSL is heavily bespoke, with a huge amount of attention dedicated to weight reduction.
M Carbon bucket seats up front; no seats in the rear: The 3.0 CSL ditches a second row for a luggage compartment instead, with storage for helmets
For starters, don't expect to see a second row when you swing its doors open; you'll get a luggage compartment (with netting for helmets) instead.
Meanwhile, the driver and their sole passenger are nestled in full-carbon bucket seats, while carbon fibre, and glass- and carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) feature heavily throughout the rest of the car's bodywork. BMW says the carbon components were manufactured not just largely by hand, but also exclusively for the model.
On that note, come up close to the 3.0 CSL and you'll realise that any area that appears to be black is actually unpainted carbon-fibre weave. As evidence of the painstaking attention to detail here, it apparently took six full days for every 3.0 CSL to be painted by hand in Alpine White uni and BMW M's three iconic colours.
CFRP features heavily throughout the car's bodywork for maximised weight reduction
Other bespoke elements that should jump out to you externally include the 3.0 CSL's Y-spoke design wheels (in staggered sizes; 20-inches front, 21-inches rear). These are finished in gold, and shod in bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 4s marked with the number '50'.
But perhaps even more exciting is what awaits inside and underneath.
Although 'turbocharged straight-six' is not an unfamiliar phrase in the House of BMW, what gives the engine under the 3.0 CSL's hood special status is its unparalleled power. Churning out 552bhp and 550Nm of torque, this marks the most powerful straight-six to be fitted to a road-legal BMW.
The 3.0 CSL boasts something unique and truly special under the hood: The most powerful turbocharged straight-six to be given to a road-legal BMW yet, churning out 552bhp and 550Nm of torque. Power is sent solely to the rear wheels in the car, via a six-speed manual transmission
Just as importantly, however, the 3.0 CSL has been expressly designed to be as involving as possible from behind the wheel. Its immense firepower is transmitted solely to the rear wheels, and via a six-speed manual transmission too. All of this is said to deliver the ultimate 'purist' experience to drivers… of which there will be precious few.
As mentioned, the 3.0 CSL will not be going on sale in Singapore, but it's likely it would have found only an elite handful of buyers anyway.
Based on a €770,000 price tag, we're told that the car could cost around $1.6 million unregistered. Throw in all the paperwork necessary to drive it with a Singaporean license plate... and we might be looking at a figure between $3.3 million to $3.6 million.
While actually driving the 3.0 CSL remains squarely out of reach, you can still get a pseudo-experience behind the wheel. As part of the ongoing showcase, the BMW Eurokars Experience Centre has welcomed a BMW Racing Simulator that is open to the public, and apparently designed to "mirror every detail" of the CSL.
Winners of the Beat-The-Clock Racing Challenge will get the opportunity to win a miniature version of the 3.0 CSL
In tandem, the Centre will run a Beat-The-Clock Racing Challenge from 22 February 2024 to 18 March 2024. To enter the challenge, participants need only follow the BMW Eurokars Instagram account, take their best shot at the simulator and capture their timings on the screen, and post them to the platform while tagging '@bmweurokarsautosg'. Winners will be announced every Wednesday through the competition period, with something tantalising up for grabs: A 1:18 scale BMW 3.0 CSL Miniature.
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