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It is expensive to build light cars, this is why the M3 CSL will bring new weight saving measures and advancements to BMW that they would only use for such special models. The CSL will help showcase the new weight saving materials that they can make more readily available on cars like the M5 and M6 that are due out in 2011-2012.

I used the Veyron as an example to what VW plans to do. The Veyron has brought about new technology that they can now patent and use in lesser cars in the next 5-10 years. This was brilliant marketing on their part. The Veyron is actually a very useful and liveable super car. That is why VW produces it at such high cost to them. The money that they will make back from that car by making that technology cheaper and more readily available to their Passat, Golf, Passat CC, Tiguan, Jetta, Taureg, etc. etc. Imagine the technology in 7 years being used for the R-Series special sports cars from VW… Think about the advancements Audi will take from it for its RS cars… The sky is the limit for VW coming up, and that’s why they did it.

Your sources may be right that there won’t be a CSL. Have they said there won’t be a special M3?

DTM is something so dull that BMW won’t get into it… MB and Audi beat up on one another. It is a cool racing series, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not F1, Le Mans, or something of that caliber.

I agree that anyone can make a car to topple the M3, but that’s beside the point. MB can’t make a car that could even promote the same success. How many name MB’s have tried to keep up with the M3 over the years? Let’s see, they had the 190, which turned into the C-Class. They have had some form of AMG or highly modified version of each car to compete… BMW has produced 1 M3 and evolved the car from there. The only other company that has had that sort of success is Audi with the S/RS4.

I agree that an M1 style BMW would be the ultimate made BMW, it wouldn’t be the M3. The M3 has just been the testing bed for new, better stuff that people will buy. The CSL had a CF roof, now the M6 and the M3 both have it… The new M5 will probably get some sort of CF style roof.

The CSL would actually translate to a better business decision than not. Let’s break it down and think about it. Volkswagen spends an average of $3+ Million making one Bugatti Veyron, then they turn around and sell it for $1.3 million. Why? Because the technology is so advanced they can use it for future cars. The technology is already getting cheaper and more readily available.

If BMW builds a tii, CSL, Lightweight, Evo, Sports Evolution, or some sort of top dog M3, it would have to be like the E46 CSL. It would translate to more money down the road for them. Essentially, cars like the CSL are rolling Research and Development cars that are sold to the public. This makes a larger profit for BMW later when they use that technology in a standard F-Series M3… They are building the tii 1er and 3er to gain knowledge on new, better, and lighter technology to start implementing into their stock road cars.

Car companies have been doing this for years. Plus, even if they build the CSL, there will probably only be about 500 or so made for the European market, and if they do bring it to the U.S. we will still only get about 200 or so… Even though the U.S. has proven to be a much larger market for ///M cars. The demand in the States for a CSL is so high that customers would likely pay $200,000 for one. You would be surprised. Hell, if the demand wasn’t so high for race bred machines MB wouldn’t get away with the CLK63 AMG Black Series over here and in your neck of the world, as well. People want these kinds of cars, and they will pay anything for them.

On the SL65 AMG BS, the AMG engines are some of the strongest in the world, no doubt. You are correct that on the Autobahn the BS would slaughter an M3 CSL. The AMG engines build speed monstrously, so much more than most. But keep in mind that once the turns come in, bye, bye AMG, hello CSL! Mercedes-Benz doesn’t have what it takes to out drive BMW and/or Porsche. Hell, MB is having a hard time showing Audi who’s boss. That should say something right there.

But you can’t really bring a $300,000+ wanna be supercar into the mix, especially when a real super car can cost half as much and produce more fun. Look at the F430 Scuderia. Same price, much larger performance. The AMG cars just won’t be what they want to be until they borrow either a proper manual from Pagani, or start making less GT attitude cars and more race minded cars. That’s why BMW makes the CSL…

There is the stats on the 4.1s 0-60.

Benny,

Mercedes-Benz’s are not as quick off of the line due to the abundance of torque that they have. Plus, the factory always downrates performance as to not look silly when no one can best that 0-60 time. BMW says the M3 only gets to 60 in 4.7s, where as everyone else tests 4.5 and lower… Mosts are between 4.1-4.4.

Why do you say that there won’t be a CSL?

The M3 will probably be faster than the SL65 AMG BS.

Engine technology has grown so much in the past 5 years that cars with 300hp are now doing 5.0s to 60. That would be the 3700lb 535i, for instance.