Official: no M3 CSL to be produced

[IWC Doppel]

Gents,

We need to get the Russian's interested in the M3 CSL

BMW should fit 20" Chrome wheels with a tasteless interior. Then have an option list for No cost option 19's and all back interior......

That might sell in Russia

[Just_me]

It's sad to hear.
Sign your name and let BMW know you want them to build a M3 CSL.

http://www.petitiononline.com/m3csl/petition.html

[RichP]

It makes good business sense, and considering the auto industry is tanking (BMW now included) cancelling such a project isnt a surprise.

Face it, the M3 is borderline overpriced for what it is. Is a 3 series that cost 125-150K going to sell?

At least the E92 M3 has the CF roof now and some other weight saving tech from the E46 CSL.

[MI6]

Here's what I think...........

It all boils down to similarities between the E36 M3 and the E92 IMHO.


There will be no CSL because when the M3 facelift occurs for fall of 2010 they will do an EVO model- similar to what they did with the E36 M3. This time though, it will make it to the states.

More rational comes from the fact that both the E36 the E92 "M"s have a sedan model- in my mind more proof that there are similarities between the two generations. Just my 2 cents............

[synclastica_86]

What was the "reason" that BMW gave for not making the CSL again? Aaaaa... right... no market and FIA president Max Mosley was not involved in a sadomasochistic orgy playing the role of a Nazi.

Come on people, this is total bull. A CSL is not built to make money; it is built to enhance company reputation and technology developement. The CF roof from the last CSL, for instant, has trickled down into the current e92.

People buy CSLs for bragging rights, and there are many, many people (at least way more than the number of CSLs produced) that needs to lighten their wallet by paying 1-200k for some limited overpriced 3-series.

If you think us here, driving bimmers, mercs, and audis are well off, and bentley, ferrari, and lambo drivers are rich, think again! There are many out there who willingly spends 200k+ just on after market tuning alone. See those 24K gold rims and the daimonds in the shift lever? To those people, 200k on a CSL is spare change.

I reckon that if BMW ever made a CSL, it will sell for sure... every last one of it. But that is just comming from a guy driving an e92 M3 (aka suffering in proverty according to those standards).

[undien717]

Originally Posted by Big Windy

I don't think it is about whether it will look good or not. It is about the fact that ///M is losing focus and selling out in order to make money.

That's exactly what's happening. If this actually happens, what ///M stands for will truly become tainted. I've always had respect for BMW because they haven't gone w/ the same route as AMG by putting a sports badge on their SUVs just to make a little more dough.

If you guys remember, the first M car, the M1, was put into consumer production for the sole purpose of homologating it in the GT group 4 and 5 series. Likewise, the E30 M3 road car was produced to homologate it into the Group A Touring Car races, where it dominated many races.

Racing is in the heart of the M division, and it was never just about putting a beefier engine in a standard chassis and calling it a day. Aside from the cabriolets (sorry guys), all the M cars were built with the whole balance of the car in mind. If you don't feel any remorse for what the M division is turning into, you never really had love for what M represents in the first place.

[spacemonkey1112]

Originally Posted by undien717

That's exactly what's happening. If this actually happens, what ///M stands for will truly become tainted. I've always had respect for BMW because they haven't gone w/ the same route as AMG by putting a sports badge on their SUVs just to make a little more dough.

If you guys remember, the first M car, the M1, was put into consumer production for the sole purpose of homologating it in the GT group 4 and 5 series. Likewise, the E30 M3 road car was produced to homologate it into the Group A Touring Car races, where it dominated many races.

Racing is in the heart of the M division, and it was never just about putting a beefier engine in a standard chassis and calling it a day. Aside from the cabriolets (sorry guys), all the M cars were built with the whole balance of the car in mind. If you don't feel any remorse for what the M division is turning into, you never really had love for what M represents in the first place.

Couldn't put it any better than that

[keitam3mode]

what is the new boss doing??? he's completly messing up our heritage on the m3,5,6 now he wants to do the x5,6? i really thing he should stick to the csl an exspand to the u.s. and really work on the m1 i think

[sayemthree]

yeah!!! (not) more overpowered cross-dressers!!!

[RT8_M3]

Originally Posted by Big Windy

I don't think it is about whether it will look good or not. It is about the fact that ///M is losing focus and selling out in order to make money.

Well, like the others mentioned, car companies are out there to make money, end of story. Plus look at Mercedes, they even came out with an AMG line for their Soccer mom looking vans. I think BMW is doing a good thing by finally bumping up the M line to the X series line. Its about time for a change.

[italiaboi24]

Originally Posted by slammedm3

That makes no sense man, just because they build an M X5/X6 doesnt mean that their M3/M5/M6 will become a worse car or suffer from the creation of an M X5/X6. Its just another option for BMW owners. It doesnt change what M means to us. And afterall, BMW is not selling us out in order to make money, thats what they do...they are a company...a manufacturer who is in business to make money. So if they can make more money by selling M X5/X6...then let it happen!!!




Exactly...Cayenne Turbo is an amazing car for those want a little more out of their Cayennes.

hmmm, wat seems wrong here......

tyhe CAYENNE TURBO is just a better version of the CAYENNE. Its like the 550 compared to a 530... just a BETTER version.

BMW could have put m-sport on the list instead of ///M!!!

dont you get it? the economy wants ugly crossovers, so bmw caved in. My point is that they could have had a XDrive50i m-sport.

By putting ///M on the badge makes it a whole different game... ///M was in the past, standing for motorsport , now, it means whatever makes them the most money...

it even stated "they pulled the CSL development to allow more funds for the development of ///M series crossovers," ugh




but who says i wont BUY an ///M-X5

i kinda like that, hahah


but really, i would have bought a csl too, even if it would have put me into debt, but who isn't nowdays?

[spacemonkey1112]

Seriously people, you have to understand what that ///M badge means. It not something you just slap onto any car and call its "sporty" because it "goes faster" than the regular road car version. Take a look at the reason why BMW built the E30 M3. MONEY was NEVER the reason why the car was made; Racing was always in mind when the car was made. ///M stood for so much more than just appealing to consumers. I'm not saying ///M cars are crap; I'm saying the ///M badge and what the division represents is just losing the dignity it once had.

[synclastica_86]

Okay, we get it, no CSL. But since the M3 is going to be in races, does that mean that BMW has to sell 25 M3 GTRs?

[Pimp Star]

Originally Posted by e46e92love

Wow, what a bunch of idiots to just take what //M stands for and throw it out the window. //M used to stand for Motorsports, now it stands for Money.

Honestly. Who wants a 600HP SUV? I want a god damn M3 CSL.

Why are all car companies selling out? In my honest opinion, BMW should ONLY make the 1-series, 3-series, 5-series, and 6-series and they should all have M versions.

No soccer mom wants to drive 180MPH, if a wealthy family wants performance and an SUV they should get an X5 and another vehicle for speed.

[hakaida442]

Originally Posted by synclastica_86

Okay, we get it, no CSL. But since the M3 is going to be in races, does that mean that BMW has to sell 25 M3 GTRs?

other than the the alms race car I haven't heard anything else about the m3 in any other series.

[1º]

honestly, i say you guys write a letter to BMW, stage a protest, or boycott their products just to show how mad you guys are. surely they will see what they have done.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by 1º

honestly, i say you guys write a letter to BMW, stage a protest, or boycott their products just to show how mad you guys are. surely they will see what they have done.

Maybe you right.. It did kinda work with the e60 M5 in the states and the whole manual gearbox fiasco(limited revs on launch and all that crap).. heres hoping.. halo cars FTW

[will@longbeachbmw]

When the Z4 came out they also had published statements from BMW's M Division saying there would be NO M models in this generation.

3 years later, the 2006 Z4 M Roadster and Z4 M Coupe came out.

[KenH]

"Come on people, this is total bull. A CSL is not built to make money; it is built to enhance company reputation and technology developement. The CF roof from the last CSL, for instant, has trickled down into the current e92."

Quite. But it didn't enhance the company reputation with the e46 at the time (just the reverse) so why should they try it again now? The e46 CSL was a commercial flop (at the dealer level) that cost European dealers an arm and a leg so there is no way that they are going to sign up to that again. And US dealers and BMW NA know exactly what happened in Europe with the e46 CSL, so they won't either.
There is a significant difference between spending money on enhancing one's reputation and spending money on creating a commercial failure that one's primary customers (ie dealers) don't want to touch again.

[lyndon_h]

It all depends on the economy