"1986: E30 After completing its brief career in Formula 1, BMW's Motorsport arm focused all its energy on touring car racing. The BMW M3 E30w was born. The first edition came with a 195 hp, four-cylinder 16-valve power unit. Right from the "
CSL Heaven
Talk about a green car. Every now and then we like to post pictures that make you fall in love with the idea of moving fast along a well-tarmaced road. The CSL is the epitome of cool German design.
Lightweight, super-nimble and fast as you like, the lightweight version of the iconic CS was a homologation special and just over 1000 units were made.
We’re not sure if this beauty is a series 1, 2, or 3 – the main differences involved carbs versus injection and a slight difference in engine displacement.
Whichever version this is, we think it’s the nicest example we’ve ever seen.
And this is a classic cutaway too.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Now *that* is a green car I can believe in. As much as 99% of my automotive experience has been with fuel injected, Japanese four-bangers, a carburetted, German inline six like that has something intensely alluring about it.
It looks stunning in such a unique shade of green and you *know* all the aero kit installed actually serves a purpose, but even without all that, even if it were beige and bereft its bespoke goodness, the shape of the underlying vehicle is what gives you that wonderful feeling of automotive desire.
Ignore, if you can, that wing, the front air dam, and the little ribs on the front fender wings, and notice how your eye easily follows the line of the hood as it sweeps back towards the windshield, cleanly passes beneath the side windows with their sparkling chrome trim and the clever BMW badge, to the trunklid, which ends in a soft edge that mimics that of the front fascia. The front and rear of the older Beemers seemed to always be leaning into the wind, a subtle suggestion of aggression that seems reminiscent of classic Italian boats from the 50s. All of this rolling on what are likely 15″ wheels with beefy tires on them. Beautiful.
I'll leave thoughts on the sound this thing probably makes to the imagination, but consider this, has our pursuit of motoring performance gone so far as to lose sight of the art and soul of a sports car? A modern Lamborghini or Ferrari would have no trouble at all out pacing this car in any motorsport challenge, but all that technology and processed composite material comes at the cost of style and personality.
The driver who shows up in a Murcielago has money.
The driver who shows up in this CSL has taste.
Thanks for sharing.
http://www.fff.uk.com/Duncan/photos/photo.html?…
Taken Goodwood 1996 – genuine original 🙂
All photos in that album tagged unknown, always meant to update them but didnt get round to it.