BMW has just launched an M4 CSL for the 2023 model year, the first car to wear that famous three-character after the legendary E46-generation M3 CSL, built between 2002 and 2004.
If you’re unfamiliar with the famous badge, CSL first appeared on 1970’s 3.0 CSL race cars and traditionally stands for “Coupe, Sport, Lightweight”. This identifies the most track-centric cars offered by BMW, as far as road cars are concerned, and as you will soon find out, BMW has focused on using more badges than just coupes.
It turns out that Automaker has come close to launching the CSL model more than once in the past, as the video below reveals. It is part of a two-part series and shows us some secret CSL prototypes, including the CSL version of the M6 Coupe and the M5 sedan, as well as the V-8 version of the previous M3 CSL.
The M3 CSL with V-8 is based on the E46 M3 CSL that BMW basically offers with an inline-6. The V-8 was borrowed from the E39-generation M5 here for sale at the time, a 4.9-liter V-8.
M5 CSL was a more pure concept. It is based on the E60-generation M5 and features a tuned version of that car’s 5.0-liter V-10. Instead of the clever automatic manual that comes with the Stock M5, it also has a dual-clutch transmission.
For the M6 CSL, it is based on the E63-generation M6 coupe and was probably the closest of the three prototypes going into production. The development of the car led to a global financial crisis, making it difficult to justify such high-end models in business. It features active aerodynamics (mostly under its floor) with an operated V-10.
Naturally, each prototype features extensive weight savings.
Stay tuned for the second part of the series which is a secret M2 CSL prototype built.