Standard M3 or CSL track tool dilemma?

[Bogracer]

I can't decide whether to go for an ordinary E46 M3 or spend much more and get a CSL.

I visit the Nürburgring and do a few track days and I would like a reasonable tool for the job. I could buy a decent garden variety M3 for £18,000ish, do the suspension and brakes (AP's) – maybe even add a supercharger?

What good upgrades can I do to a stock E46 M3 and make it rapid but reliable track tool that I could use on the road or do I go for a pucker CSL?

Help me with my quest!

[Mark83]

Have you tried www.bm3w.co.uk

[Spokey]

CSL. Just absolutely.

[jleroux]

if you can afford a CSL then there's no dilemma IMO. you only live once and could get hit by a bus tomorrow. new CSL probably safer in that situation too so a win-win situation. always better to regret something you did do, than something you didn't do.

Jonny
BaT

[phatgixer]

CSL, but do a few mods to make it just so.

[sdd]

You still need to mod a CSL for track use, bottom line is you could spend probably less money buying a cheap M3 and getting it very close to CSL performance but you'll never see that money again i.e. when you sell it you wont recover the money you spent on mods unless you take them all off and flog them separately.

or you can buy a CSL and put proper brakes on it and you have a car that will be easy to sell when you want to and hold it's value better.

Having spent a lot of time in both I never thought that the CSL was worth the extra money BMW wanted for it new but then not many owners actually paid the full list price for them. Now that the price differential is down and you can get hold of a CSL that is still under warranty for about £30k it's one of the best practical track cars around.

[shim]

you can add £500 of hoses, pads and fluid to a CSL and you will not have any issues.

MY APs are great but not entirely justified imho.

[Bogracer]

sdd said:

You still need to mod a CSL for track use, bottom line is you could spend probably less money buying a cheap M3 and getting it very close to CSL performance but you'll never see that money again i.e. when you sell it you wont recover the money you spent on mods unless you take them all off and flog them separately.

or you can buy a CSL and put proper brakes on it and you have a car that will be easy to sell when you want to and hold it's value better.

Having spent a lot of time in both I never thought that the CSL was worth the extra money BMW wanted for it new but then not many owners actually paid the full list price for them. Now that the price differential is down and you can get hold of a CSL that is still under warranty for about £30k it's one of the best practical track cars around.

Put resale value and CSL kudos into the mix and buying a CSL makes the most sense as an out of the box performer. I agree from new, the CSL did not stack up and plenty of 'speculators' got burnt.

The used CSL is great value and is close to an essential purchase.

[bionic man]

I currently have a csl as my track day car and it is an excellent tool for the job. Had to do a few mods though (different pads hoses fluid etc). The only thing I would change it for is a gt3 which is my current dilema

[Kickstart]

I had an M3 E46 - standard not CSL which I used on a few track days - it was pants...The brakes wilted very quickly, tyres got wasted and the car felt very heavy. Did not think it was any fun at all.

If you are going to run an E46 M3 you really will have to sort the brakes and I still not convinced it would have much fun factor plus it would be very expensive to run because it eats tyres (and they are not cheap).

Wouldn't something lighter/track specific be better ? Hate to say Caterham because it is so predictable but they are great fun especially one of the quicker ones. Alternatively what about a LHD Porsche GT3 - they seem to be about £35k and on the one occasion I have driven one on a track day I thought it was miles better and more fun than my M3. Or maybe a lotus elise/exige ?

[Furyblade_Lee]

I agree with kickstart, both M3 (with brakes) and CSL will be more than a "reasonable" too around the 'Ring, and a fine (read awesome) roadcar. However, as he says, something far lighter/cheaper/better residuals could be a far better bet if you genuinly want a PROPER trackcar. I have personally never seen ANY M3 that car hold a Candle to a mid-range Caterham around a track. You are talking a large inverstment just to go a bit quicker with an M3, and £30k of CSL would be too expensive for me to push 100% round the Nurnurgring!
I do days with Lotus-on-Track, and the M3's that go are no faster than Exiges or good £10k Elises on a twisty track. And one particular guy wishes he never turned the driving aids of in Northern France..

But if you can have only one car then a regular M3 wth £2k of brakes would do me fine thank you very much ;-)

[Bogracer]

Furyblade_Lee said:

I agree with kickstart, both M3 (with brakes) and CSL will be more than a "reasonable" too around the 'Ring, and a fine (read awesome) roadcar. However, as he says, something far lighter/cheaper/better residuals could be a far better bet if you genuinly want a PROPER trackcar. I have personally never seen ANY M3 that car hold a Candle to a mid-range Caterham around a track. You are talking a large inverstment just to go a bit quicker with an M3, and £30k of CSL would be too expensive for me to push 100% round the Nurnurgring!
I do days with Lotus-on-Track, and the M3's that go are no faster than Exiges or good £10k Elises on a twisty track. And one particular guy wishes he never turned the driving aids of in Northern France..

But if you can have only one car then a regular M3 wth £2k of brakes would do me fine thank you very much ;-)

Agreed not the fastest car around the track but a Cataham/Elise is a different kettle of fish and the drive to the Nürburgring is along way. I have done the Elise, V8 Westfield and Ultima thing. You can go faster and faster, but are you having fun? I want an all round car, with a good chassis and the CSL fits the bill fitted with some AP's.

Edited by Bogracer on Thursday 27th December 20:14

[spannerman]

Bogracer CSL is the car for you, I to have a similar background (fast road car to track car to race car}. The CSL is a compromise but a very very good one