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- BMW M3 CSL E46
- pnadin's review
Picture courtesy of Jagz.
| Performance | 9.3/10  |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 6.7/10 |
| Reliability | 9.7/10 |
| Value for Money | 10/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 10/10 |
| Overall Rating | 8.4/10  |
By pnadin
on 3rd Feb 2005
| Year Manufactured | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Length of ownership | 6 Months |
| Performance | 10/10 |
| Practicality | 4/10 |
| Reliability | 9/10 |
| Value for money | 10/10 |
| Overall value | 10/10 |
 pnadin's recommendation | |
Engine noise, especially engine blip on downshifts
SMG gearbox
Handling
Launch control
CSL Alloy wheels
Course engine.
Choice of colours - only sapphire black or silver grey.
422 of the BMW M3 CSL sports cars were made for the UK of which I understand all have now been sold. I bought one of the last few unregistered cars BMW had left for sale at a good discount as they believe they have oversupplied to the UK.
The M3 CSL is a very specialist car which is very unlike the standard BMW M3. Having a firmer ride and sharper steering it is very much a track car that can be used for road purposes.
The car lacks refinement and is not suitable for long journeys due to firm seats with little adjustment. Having previously owned an M3 and being aware of what the car is not good at, I chose the CSL for what it does as well as cars costing much more (eg 911 GT3). This must be one of the most entertaining drivers cars ever made.
The car has a large air induction system that helps incease the engine power to 360 bhp and creates a glorious wail as your revs climb from 3500 rpm to 8500 rpm.
The SMG gearbox is often critisized by the press, largely I believe due to inexperience with the system. It's like someone who has only driven automatic cars testing a manual car and critisizing it for being jerky because they cant master a clutch straight away. It takes a few days to get to grips with the BMW SMG gearbox and a little longer before it can be driven smoothly in the auto modes.
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