At €250,000, the M3 GTR Strassenversion holds the official title of the most expensive new car ever sold by BMW in Germany. However, we firmly believe the road-legal version of the V8-powered M3 E46 race car isn’t actually the priciest. The modern-day 3.0 CSL likely claims that unofficial crown, with reports stating that BMW offered it at three times the price. Yes, the M4 CSL-based special coupe allegedly sold for €750,000 apiece.

As is often the case with ultra-rare cars, prices have crept up. RM Sotheby’s auctioned one of the 50 units in November 2023 in Munich for a staggering €1,017,500. Now, we’ve come across another 3.0 CSL, and sure enough, this one is even more expensive. Hollmann International has BMW’s most powerful inline-six road car listed at an eye-watering €1,184,050.

At current exchange rates, it works out to approximately $1.34 million. That’s a hefty sum for what started life as a 4 Series. Of course, this isn’t your average 4er. It begins as an M4 CSL before being transformed with a completely bespoke, coachbuilt body that pays homage to the gorgeous 3.0 CSL E9. It also swaps the automatic transmission for a manual gearbox and sees its twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six tuned to 552 hp, which is a record figure for a street-legal BMW with a six-cylinder engine. But because it has a stick, torque is down by 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) to 550 Nm (406 lb-ft). Can’t have it all, not even on an uber-expensive M4.

BMW finished this 3.0 CSL, like all examples, in Alpine White with retro-flavored M stripes. It features flashy gold centerlock forged wheels and a kidney grille design we’d love to see on mainstream M models. Although it’s not as spectacular as the one-off 2015 3.0 CSL Hommage R, the retro cues do make it far more special than a standard G82.

With just 31 miles (50 kilometers) on the clock, it’s practically brand new. Hopefully, the next owner will actually drive it rather than tuck it away in a climate-controlled garage. However, given the car’s exclusivity factor, there’s a big chance that wealthy customers view it strictly as an investment. The retro-flavored M4 marked 50 years of M, so it holds a special place in the BMW lineage. If only they had put more effort into the interior. Those screens aren’t going to age well.

The 3.0 CSL isn’t the only BMW to eclipse the M3 GTR in price. Rumors suggest that the upcoming M8-based Skytop costs around €500,000, which is twice the price of the Strassenversion. We also imagine the Z4 M40i-based Touring Coupe would’ve commanded a hefty premium had BMW greenlit it for limited production. The aborted clown shoe revival was reportedly priced around €250,000 before sadly being shelved.

Images of the actual car: Hollmann International