10 years BMW M3 CSL — Coupé, Sport, Lightweight. About 50 BMW M3 CSL owners from different parts of Europe came to the BMW Welt in Munich on this occasion. The forward-thinking intelligent lightweight technology set the benchmark for the car construction of future models.
Every BMW fan’s dream car, the BMW M3 CSL is regarded by many as one of the best cars to come out of the M3 division. CSL stands for “Coupe Sport Lightweight”, a moniker first given to the legendary race winning BMW 3.0 CSL.
The E46 M3 CSL is most notably distinguished from the standard E46 M3 by its various lightweight components. BMW claimed that the M3 CSL weighed 3,054 pounds, or roughly 10 percent less than the normal model.
Our own Andrew Murphy says “the M3 CSL is just an honest, straightforward performance BMW. The CSL managed to combine many of the most identifiable traits of a BMW of the period into a single package. Naturally aspirated 3.2L inline-6, light weight materials, and hardcore near-slick tires wrapped around 19 inch wheels. The M3 CSL managed to deliver more performance than the standard E46 M3 at a still-reasonable price point.”
