articles
|
|
By bringing back three vaunted letters, CSL, also their philosophy, BMW teased sports machine enthusiasts at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Back in the early 1970s, CSL stood for Coupe Sport Lightweight also 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 also lightweight body components such as a Plexiglas rear window also fiberglass bumpers. The 3.0-liter inline six produced 200 horsepower, good enough to sprint from 0 to 60 in around 7 second
s. 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 machine 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 machine at this time. Nonetheless, let's examine what could [hopefully] be.
To earn the CSL badge, the already scintillating M3 loses 440 pounds also gains around 20 additional horsepower [for a total of "over 350" according to BMW). The M3 becomes leaner by ditching the side airbags, rear seat also trunk-mounted toolkit also by using liberal amounts of carbon-fiber for the doors, roof, trunklid also side-view mirrors. Further weight savings is gained via the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic for the racing-s
tyle bucket seats, interior door panels, center console also 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 also running shoes] also the different where he has to take a 40-pound backpack along for the ride. He'd be like an M3 CSL in the forme
r race also like a basic M3 in the latter.
The additional ponies are gained by reducing internal frictional losses also 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 tire also without the driver having to work a clutch pedal. Keeping the CSL's awesome kinetic energy in check are huge, 18-inch disc brakes also 19-inch alloy wheels shod with u
ltra-high-performance Michelin rubber.
The beauty of low curb weight, lots of power also a balanced chassis cannot be under-estimated by those whose televisions are constantly tuned to Speedvision also 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 t
hat beat the already impressive production M3 by nearly 30 seconds. Or, to put it into highly technical racing terms, the basic M3 got spanked.
