M3 CSL E46

[anonymous-user]

I have always admired the car but I'd be looking at the CS, the values of those are climbing just as quickly. Anything 'quick' with a manual box, and without the modern weight issues and electronics that pollute modern cars is going to appreciate in time I would guess?

[Nickbrapp]

65k can buy a hell of a lot of other cars that aren't tarted up rep mobiles. Wasn't the csl flawed from the start?

[Mits]

I had from 11k miles to 35k miles, bought for £36k and sold for £26k, bought to be driven as my daily...a great car, but I can think of better ways to spend £60-70k nowadays.
My car ended up going to someone in France, who keeps it at the Ring and uses it as intended.

[anonymous-user]

Nickbrapp said:

65k can buy a hell of a lot of other cars that aren't tarted up rep mobiles. Wasn't the csl flawed from the start?

Have you driven one?

[shalmaneser]

I've never driven an SMG but to hear tales about it sounds pretty crappy, also potential of huge bills if something goes wrong, although I guess if you're spanking 60K+ on a CSL 5K or so for gearbox bits isn't then end of the world.

It's a shame it was never made as a manual. I think the e46 M3 CS is the clever choice, really. But it would be nice to have the carbon roof, boot, bumpers etc.

[Guvernator]

I think I'd pick up a CS manual and get the Carbon Airbox\Alpha mod done so it sounds like the CSL. Stick on some decent brakes and suspension and it's done. OK it might not have the same kudos or collect-ability but you'll have a better car for actual driving enjoyment than a CSL for a third of the price and CS's aren't depreciating either. A better buy if you want to use it rather than stick it in the garage to watch the mileage and hope it goes up in value.

[anonymous-user]

The value is in the standard cars at the moment IMO. The CSL is absurdly overpriced and definitely due a correction in value, the CS seems to demand too much of a premium too for what it offers over the standard car.

I'm very, very tempted by an E46 M3 at the moment, I have an excellent BMW-trained mechanic who looks after all my cars and he's very cheap so that takes a lot of the potential sting out of the manitenance bills.

[Mits]

The SMG box in the csl was nothing like the lazy changes in the my normal smg M3 I had before the csl.

The changes were super fast, smooth if you lifted off slightly, but driveline shunting hard if you kept you foot in. Similar to a Challenge Stradale gearbox I have now, that's how good it is.

If you've driven a smg m3 and a csl, only then can you know that the two cars are night and day. Its not just the noise, its all the carbon panels, the lightness of the car when driving, razor sharp handing, sitting low in the race seats.

[CorvetteConvert]

cerb4.5lee said:

CorvetteConvert said:

My £30,000 2013 M3 V8 is a far better car.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts you have on it as I remember the thread you did on the M4 and you agreed with me that the M4 would make a better daily than the V8 M3 would and that the V8 M3 is relatively torque light.

Yup and BMW Car magazine this month has an M3 2012 v M3 2015 comparison test and sadly for the V8 version I read through the article and noted the tester preferring the new twin-turbo straight 6 version in every way, including sound!
He said more of the performance, more of the time was available, more of the sound, more of the time was available. Yes he mentioned the V8 is torque light.
But on another thread I have already admitted that what ORD had said was right. That this E92 N/A engine is actually a peach. I mentioned that, after driving the car slowly as well as quickly, I had warmed to the engine and the character and noise a lot.
I was not quite fair to this car. Having only ever ragged a few owned by other people it had seemed quite cammy and weak low down but really, this car has plenty of mid-range and is a jewel of a motor. It seems incredibly weak if I go to it from the 'vette, but I like the E92 Coupe more and more every day.
So hands up, it is better than I thought, but the CSL is in my all time top 2 over-rated cars I have driven. I wouldn't pay £40K for one never mind £65K.

Edited by CorvetteConvert on Monday 9th November 14:19

[CorvetteConvert]

V8A*ndy said:

I'd also take a punt on one of the limited run out edition E92s.

I just bought one of them! I hope it soars in value then!!!

[s m]

Leins said:

Sold my CSL at the weekend as part of a bit of a car re-shuffle that's also seen my E30 Alpina go too, with only my Mini GP1 safe from the purge (a car I know the OP and myself share a liking for). Current values versus my own amount of use and cost of ownership had them done for unfortunately

Blimey - any replacements for the future?

[mark.c]

Leins said:

................................that's also seen my E30 Alpina go too,..........................

Oi!!!my phone didnt ring!! ...........;)

[Leins]

s m said:

Leins said:

Sold my CSL at the weekend as part of a bit of a car re-shuffle that's also seen my E30 Alpina go too, with only my Mini GP1 safe from the purge (a car I know the OP and myself share a liking for). Current values versus my own amount of use and cost of ownership had them done for unfortunately

Blimey - any replacements for the future?

Yeah, all happened fairly quickly in the end SM. My initial plan when I bought the CSL back in 2011 was that it would be with me until I could afford a 964RS, but the market has moved massively against me on that one. All depends on where this market goes now - is it a bubble or are these all going into garages never to be seen again?

For now I've decided to shrink to a 2-car garage to cover the bases for what I really enjoy in the way of driving - a car for a bit of weekend back-road hooning (the Mini), and something for continental road-trips in the summer. Not fully decided on the latter, but in the possible mix are: RS2 / B5 RS4 / Alpina B8 Touring / Merc 500E / C43 Estate. I've still got the M5 for the moment, which could fulfill that role too, but these are all cars I've wanted to own for a long time so decided it's time for a change

mark.c said:

Leins said:

................................that's also seen my E30 Alpina go too,..........................

Oi!!!my phone didnt ring!! ...........;)

Sorry Mark , went to someone over here who had first dibs on it from when I first picked it up

Edited by Leins on Monday 9th November 14:59

[cerb4.5lee]

CorvetteConvert said:

cerb4.5lee said:

CorvetteConvert said:

My £30,000 2013 M3 V8 is a far better car.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts you have on it as I remember the thread you did on the M4 and you agreed with me that the M4 would make a better daily than the V8 M3 would and that the V8 M3 is relatively torque light.

Yup and BMW Car magazine this month has an M3 2012 v M3 2015 comparison test and sadly for the V8 version I read through the article and noted the tester preferring the new twin-turbo straight 6 version in every way, including sound!
He said more of the performance, more of the time was available, more of the sound, more of the time was available. Yes he mentioned the V8 is torque light.
But on another thread I have already admitted that what ORD had said was right. That this E92 N/A engine is actually a peach. I mentioned that, after driving the car slowly as well as quickly, I had warmed to the engine and the character and noise a lot.
I was not quite fair to this car. Having only ever ragged a few owned by other people it had seemed quite cammy and weak low down but really, this car has plenty of mid-range and is a jewel of a motor. It seems incredibly weak if I go to it from the 'vette, but I like the E92 Coupe more and more every day.
So hands up, it is better than I thought, but the CSL is in my all time top 2 over-rated cars I have driven. I wouldn't pay £40K for one never mind £65K.

Edited by CorvetteConvert on Monday 9th November 14:19

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I appreciate it.

I think I watched a vid of the guy you mention from BMW car magazine on another thread.

[anonymous-user]

yonex said:

Nickbrapp said:

65k can buy a hell of a lot of other cars that aren't tarted up rep mobiles. Wasn't the csl flawed from the start?

Have you driven one?

Does it actually matter that much if he hasn't driven a CSL? Can we not make some educated guesses based on facts and statics, or are you purposing that no one should be allowed to comment on a car they haven't directly driven?

I've not driven a CSL, but I don't have to know it would be one of the last places I'd put £65k (market speculation aside).

[e21Mark]

279 said:

yonex said:

Nickbrapp said:

65k can buy a hell of a lot of other cars that aren't tarted up rep mobiles. Wasn't the csl flawed from the start?

Have you driven one?

Does it actually matter that much if he hasn't driven a CSL? Can we not make some educated guesses based on facts and statics, or are you purposing that no one should be allowed to comment on a car they haven't directly driven?

I've not driven a CSL, but I don't have to know it would be one of the last places I'd put £65k (market speculation aside).

I would guess it was the inference that the CSL is just a tarted up repmobile that prompted the question?

Values seem to have gone much the same way as the E30 M3, which can be a shame when it prices them out of the hands of enthusiasts and into those of people looking for investments. I thought the CSL was a really special car and the performance was incredible for a saloon car. In fact, I rate all versions of the E46 M3 pretty highly and there can't be many saloons capable of lapping the Nurburgring in 7 minutes 30?

[V8A*ndy]

CorvetteConvert said:

V8A*ndy said:

I'd also take a punt on one of the limited run out edition E92s.

I just bought one of them! I hope it soars in value then!!!

Is it manual and does it have one of those unpolishable paint jobs?


I was sniffing around for one of those run outs 500 in Electric red...

[mark.c]

Leins said:

Sorry Mark , went to someone over here who had first dibs on it from when I first picked it up

Edited by Leins on Monday 9th November 14:59

Forgiven

Im a patient man

[CorvetteConvert]

279 said:

yonex said:

Nickbrapp said:

65k can buy a hell of a lot of other cars that aren't tarted up rep mobiles. Wasn't the csl flawed from the start?

Have you driven one?

Does it actually matter that much if he hasn't driven a CSL? Can we not make some educated guesses based on facts and statics, or are you purposing that no one should be allowed to comment on a car they haven't directly driven?

I've not driven a CSL, but I don't have to know it would be one of the last places I'd put £65k (market speculation aside).

+1

[CorvetteConvert]

V8A*ndy said:

CorvetteConvert said:

V8A*ndy said:

I'd also take a punt on one of the limited run out edition E92s.

I just bought one of them! I hope it soars in value then!!!

Is it manual and does it have one of those unpolishable paint jobs?


I was sniffing around for one of those run outs 500 in Electric red...

Erm it says 1 of 500 and it's white!
7 speed dsg.