RE: BMW E46 M3 CSL: Spotted

RE: BMW E46 M3 CSL: Spotted

Author
Discussion

CSLchappie

438 posts

210 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
I have to disagree with the articles insinuation about the SMGII vs SMGIII vs manual option. The manual box from the standard e46 M3 was a pretty unforgiving beast, notchy 1st to 2nd, heavy clutch and constant need to work it around town were big factors in me trading my regular e46 for a CSL.

Yes, the SMGII could be savage, but so was SMGIII, both have a degree of user learning based on driving style but my recollection was that SMGII was the sloppier and more slur prone of the boxes. The SMGIII's Achilles heel is often trotted out but in my 8+ years ownership of two different cars I had nothing but positive driving experiences (in regards to the drive train at least, I had a fair few other issues)

Based on my own track day experiences I'd pick the SMG box over the equivalent manual option any day of the week.

Genuine Barn Find

5,816 posts

221 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
[redacted]

GregorFuk

563 posts

206 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Owned one for four years, loved having it in the garage and a fantastic thing to drive. Can't lie though, it's replacement has three pedals and a stick and it is great to have them back.

darreni

3,973 posts

276 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Genuine Barn Find said:
Might be wrong, but I don't ever recall CSL's sat at the 20k mark?

I've always preferred the CS because of the manual box. I was priced out when I went looking in 2017 - they were nudging towards £20,000, and the boat looks to have well and truly sailed. Regular manual M3 prices were all over the place - and still seem to be. I paid a little over what I thought was market rate to secure a minter that will be my weekender for years..

I think the key to the CSL prices is that there are lots of cars sat the classifieds which have been there a while. They are coming down, but £40,000 + is personally where I see them (for the moment).

I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who has bought one at the top of the market. Was it a 'must have', or selected after comparing against other cars?
They did, I paid bang on £20k for mine in 2010.



Genuine Barn Find

5,816 posts

221 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
darreni said:
They did, I paid bang on £20k for mine in 2010.
Fair enough then!

Practically stolen

darreni

3,973 posts

276 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Its probably had the same again spent on it to keep it in good shape.


paulwirral

3,350 posts

141 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Genuine Barn Find said:
darreni said:
They did, I paid bang on £20k for mine in 2010.
Fair enough then!

Practically stolen
I remember not going to look at one that was half an hour from me as I thought it a little pricey at , if I rember correctly , £22500 , no radio or air con !
It's probably the most sought after type now .

slipstream 1985

12,757 posts

185 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
paulwirral said:
Genuine Barn Find said:
darreni said:
They did, I paid bang on £20k for mine in 2010.
Fair enough then!

Practically stolen
I remember not going to look at one that was half an hour from me as I thought it a little pricey at , if I rember correctly , £22500 , no radio or air con !
It's probably the most sought after type now .
They were 20k and people thought they were pricey back then.

Guvernator

13,379 posts

171 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
slipstream 1985 said:
They were 20k and people thought they were pricey back then.
Yep I remember considering one when they were about that price and thinking it was too much money. It's amazing what time and over-hyping in countless magazine articles over the years can do to prices. I remember a time where a week couldn't go by without one journo or other waxing lyrical about the CSL, the E30 M3 or even both. It was almost like the motoring press where in on a conspiracy to inflate the prices on these cars.

darreni

3,973 posts

276 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Or maybe they are just much better than the cars that have come after.

shalmaneser

6,031 posts

201 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
paulwirral said:
Genuine Barn Find said:
darreni said:
They did, I paid bang on £20k for mine in 2010.
Fair enough then!

Practically stolen
I remember not going to look at one that was half an hour from me as I thought it a little pricey at , if I rember correctly , £22500 , no radio or air con !
It's probably the most sought after type now .
No radio or air con doesn't make it very usable though does it? I'd rather one I could actually do decent trips in!

kars

180 posts

175 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
WCZ said:
really nice cars

-110kg is a proper weight saving although unfortunately everyone spec'd aircon back in (even though it's not necessary in the uk)

when you think about the 911 T and Cayman T with -5kg and door pulleys calling themselves lightweight driver focused editions, it looks a joke in comparison
-110kg is nothing, you can easily drop -200kg+ from regular e46m3, without spending much money

kars

180 posts

175 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
M3 CSL or a Viper for 30k less, that would be an interesting back to back comparison.
Viper any day

MX6

5,986 posts

219 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Interesting car that seems to stand out in the BMW M-sport pantheon, but at these prices definitely one for the more wealthy connoisseurs and collectors. I'd never consider buying one based on my unrefined bang-per-buck calculations...

J4CKO

42,732 posts

206 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
kars said:
J4CKO said:
M3 CSL or a Viper for 30k less, that would be an interesting back to back comparison.
Viper any day
Yeah, must admit it seems more compelling, not driven either but imagine the BMW is the purer driving experience but the Viper looks a lot of terrifying fun.

Matthew7711

104 posts

99 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Best car I’ve ever owned.

Getting rarer everyday..these will be worth megabucks when they get imported to America.

Never understood the argument of modding another e46 to look exactly the same..it will never be the same..it’s a CSL.

WCZ

10,779 posts

200 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
kars said:
-110kg is nothing, you can easily drop -200kg+ from regular e46m3, without spending much money
no doubt but the csl's weight savings are done in a nice oem way

I've personally taken well over 100kg out of cars before (with lightweight parts too) so know the potential and would enjoy making a proper Cayman T which wasn't literally just removal of the nav

AC123

1,164 posts

160 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all


Much better idea wink

cerb4.5lee

33,176 posts

186 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
AC123 said:


Much better idea wink
yescloud9

Alpinestars

13,954 posts

250 months

Wednesday 9th January 2019
quotequote all
Matthew7711 said:
Best car I’ve ever owned.

Getting rarer everyday..these will be worth megabucks when they get imported to America.

Never understood the argument of modding another e46 to look exactly the same..it will never be the same..it’s a CSL.
Totally agree, it’s an oft trotted out argument for most special editions.