Modern cars don't have ITBs any more, and N/A engines are seemingly a thing of the past as turbos have taken over sapping the sense of drama away from high revving naturally aspirated engines.
@@dlevi67 The 1st thing I do when I get a "new" car is fit a K&N air filter... The one on my BMW E90 is a cone style and fits inside my OG airbox... I removed the underside of the airbox but still receives cool air from the front of the car via it's original path... No heat soak and fantastic induction noise especially in cold weather...
They have always been ignored.... That's why we MOD cars!!!... Whats up with these rose tinted spectacles...... MOD your cars.... Don't be scared, that is what is missing more and more nowadays.
Well, I am one of the people that traded in the standard E46 M3 for an E46 M3 CSL back in the day when it came out (2003). It was definitely worth it at the time and I still have the CSL to this day.
but you can build a E46 Manual transmission m3 for a third of the value for a CSL. As a collector car it is wonderful. Great job catching it early. That is really awesome. i think then it was worth it but now it isn't unless you want that collector grade car.
Having worked at BMW I did drive a M3 then straight into a CSL the difference is the CSL is a track car in the making and if the customer had a racing licence the CSL could be de restricted at delivery and hit 170+mph! worth the extra £10k well the £100k price tag today says yes all day long
I'm not sure if even the normal E46 M3 was restricted. I hit 170mph in mine. I don't believe the car had been flashed, it was completely stock. I've yet to see proof of one hitting the alleged limiter at 155.
@@curtislovrak5390 On all the BMWs, it seems the limiter is quite a bit higher than the stated limit. On the CSL, it is an indicated 167mph (true 161mph). On the E92 it is an indicated 170mph (true 163mph), so makes me laugh when a journalist states they're limited to 155mph, as it shows they have never actually V-maxed the cars.....
You do know that Bangle had a big part in designing the e46 plus many other beautiful BMWs. He is only remembered for the 7 series. Which in hindsight looks very modern imo.
The Bangle era is ugly because of government regulation. They were still very well made cars with naturally aspirated engines that ran forever. The turbo era is garbage. The designs are terrible and the quality is not there like it used to be.
I say this on practically every single CSL video, as sadly it is almost always true - you deride the shift speed, but don't have it on the fastest shift setting, so of course the changes feel slow LOL. You only get the 80ms in S6. Also, NEVER EVER lift. You can hear that this gearbox has been driven like that, as the lifting causes the transimssion DME to adapt to that style of driving, and that is what causes the clutch slur (and that also makes it feel slow). As to getting a normal M3 to feel like a CSL, you might get the noise and steering, but the only way to get 110kg out of a cooking M3 is with drastic measures (and be aware that this is the minimum amount of the weight saving (albeit of the lightest version of the CSL against the lightest version of an M3 (sans aircon and sunroof). Given almost every M3 has both these options ticked, when Sport Auto weighed an optionless CSL (the one they used for the 7.50 Nurburgring lap time) against a normally optioned M3 (with aircon and sunroof), the difference was actually 150kg . BMW did so many little things to get that weight out, that only fully stripped M3s can get even close.
@ It was built to showcase all of BMWs emerging technologies (carbon, FRP etc) and the “F1” style gearboxes was all the thing back then. In its defence, it was the best of all the automated manuals, but only the SMG seems to get the all the derision LOL. The Ferrari system was a frankly hopeless 250ms, yet the BMW system at several times that speed gets all the abuse🤦♂️. The 420g is a pretty poor manual as standard and so I don’t mind the CSL’s SMG (especially on track where it shines).
Yeah I came to the comments to see if anyone else thought it sounded like the clutch was slipping after every shift so thought that can't be in the fastest setting surely.
The M3 CSL and 911 GT3 of the same period pretty much spawned the era of the light-weight modern sports-coupe, I'd go as far to say that I think BMW pulled it off better in this instance.
@@RUNDMC1 Yep, but at least the CSL was the catalyst for the subsequent RS models. Andy Preuninger readily admits that it shocked them how fast the car was (as well as it is his favourite BMW) and couldn't believe how it beat the 996.2 GT3's lap time around the 'ring (by 4s). They then buit the RS version of the 996 GT3 to take the record back from BMW, which it did by 3s (same driver - Horst Von Saurma) and then Walter Rohrl shaved a further 4s off that on a warmer day. Sadly BMW never continued to produce a CSL model with every subsequent model iteration, but Porsche DID with the RS and look where they are now. Probably the most respected car brand lead by the most respected engineer. If only BMW's M-sport department had kept on someone as visionary.
The bonnet and bumpers are the same on the normal E46 M3, bumpers are composite with carbon weave on the inside. All the CSL weight savings are removing the sound deadening, CF roof and some other areas, the E46 M3 seats are around 30KG each for example, whereas the CSL buckets are half that.
The front bumper on a CSL is fully carbon (and weighs just a few kilos) - which is why it costs £5k, it is plastic on a normal M3. The rear bumper is the same, apart from the diffuser insert on the CSL, which is again fully carbon. I agree that the bonnets are the same on all E46 M3s though.
Given the level of engineering and cosmetic changes over the standard car, I'm amazed that it was criticised in period for being too expensive. The current prices show how wrong people were.
I don't consider the additional 'performance' over the M3 to be the reason why the CSL version is today more expensive than the regular M3. The prime reason is the CSL's rarity - because the total production amounted to 1,383 cars. The aforesaid figure is miniscule when compared to the 56,133 coupés and 29,633 convertibles of the regular M3.
I think they're great cars and I did consider buying one of these 20 years ago but didn't like the SMG box so bought a 996 GT3 instead. I do agree that manual gearboxes in most M3's are OK but not the best as is the case with my E92 M3. They do look cool (best looking M3 for me), sound great and £100K is strong money but not when you think how much you have to pay for certain Fast Fords these days which are not in the same league as the CSL.
I'm seemingly in the minority in preferring the SMG to the manual. The manual really wasn't great and the SMG is faster; you just have to know how to use it and have it on the highest setting when pressing on. Huge regret not buying one of these when they were £25k 😢 Unfortunately I was going through a turbo phase at the time.
@georgebettiol8338 my dad owns an E46 M3 SMG and my uncle an E60 M5 (obviously SMG) and no issues with either yet. They've had these cars for maybe 7 or 8 years now. All that really fails is the pump, you get a new one and that's it. On the whole they're very reliable and it's somewhat overblown like the IMS thing. Smashing through the gears on an SMG is an absolute riot.
I owned one for 6 years.. agree on the manual 6 speed it wasn’t the best and only those that haven’t owned and lived long term with the SMG criticise it. Set at its fastest changes and driven quick it’s fine for a car as old as it is. Just don’t ever drive it in auto. In fairness older GT3 are demanding mad money these days and this car could keep with and even beat a GT3 of the same era on track at the time all be it a little more fragile than the Porsche if driven hard. Great cars and I miss mine. Plus look at it.. they are lovely looking cars and drive great.
Great looking and sounding but at that price it’s a fantasy car for me. There are many other cars I’d pick over it that are much cheaper. Definitely not worth 4-5x more than a regular M3.
SMG suits the car, I drive mine in S5 and it is superb. Most people commenting likely just get their information from the internet rather than first hand experience.
I had E28, E34 and E39. This was still the era when BMW's looked good. They have always been money pits but in much lesser scale in the early 2000's. Now my mechanic said that new BMW's are about the WORST cars around... and most expensive to maintain (along with Audis). And they're ugly as hell. Bring back the classic Beemers like this shape!
There is a review from an unknown channel (its on yt too) with a m3 an Alpina and a Hartge V8. The CSL is kinda missing from that one. Reviews should be like that one. The V8 was a beast ha.
E46 M3 SMGII [not a CSL] was my first non-manual car. In 20 years driving prior, I'd never even contemplated anything but a stick; alas a bad back determined otherwise. In the normal world, it was fine. A few year later, I test drove a DCT E92 at Long Beach BMW, The last car I thought I'd buy was another M3, but the V8 and ultra-rapid gear change [again, normal world - I'm not a racecar driver] combined were a revelation. Felt like true progress. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for subsequent incarnations.
Certainly sounds lovely. I have a recollection of this being on Top Gear when new and getting slated for the SMG, not just for the speed of changes but also because it performed very poorly in regular traffic, car parks etc and was hard to get in to reverse. May be misremembering if it was this but there was definitely one lightweight BMW where they'd replaced the boot lining with cardboard to save weight too.
Automated clutch (manual) transmissions such as the SMG are generally poor performers in regular traffic conditions. What's more they are complex and become a money pit as the car ages. How do I know, I owned one - so never again.
@@romanholidaycandybat No it’s not🤣. The boot floor is metal like on all E46 M3s😛. The “cover” for the boot floor is made of carpet covered fibre-board (not GRP), like practically every car ever made (that has any type of “wheel-well”) and your shopping will most certainly not fall through it as implied by Mr Clarkson🤣🤦♂️.
Lot of people has deposits on one but chickened out. It didn’t sell when new. Prices were higher than normal M3s but not by a big margin until maybe last 8 years. As every man and his dog jumped on what the next Classic car gravy train
Why the hype? Because my friend with 10K more money back then you had a car 42sec faster on the Nürburgring… You bought the best sounding six cylinder engine and one of the best looking BMWs ever made And last but not least you got the feeling of “pure driving pleasure” that BMW advertised back then..
Good Video however as MikeRT4 mentions you are not running on the fastest shift setting and listening to your shifts you was lifting please never ever lift :) Yes the SMG2 is not that good compared to what we have now days but as you mentioned it fits the car. Small correction the Bumper is Carbon and the boot is Plastic (top duck part).
Brakes, parts availability and finding a decent one are the main weak point on these. With a clear road the SMGII is fun in S5 or S6. Manual is more fun more of the time simply because of more involvement and more engaging. SMGII was great for its time and yes I’ve driven it and do like both boxes.
The best straight 6 is the Australian built Italian tuned Valiant Charger in 1971. E49. With Weber side draft were standard thats 3 double barrels! 4.3 litre. Held the fastest 400m deag times for nearly 20 years for a Factory spec'd Ozzie built car. A rare and valuable car today but many clones have been built too.
Great review. Owned an M3 at one point, always had to defend why I went for the SMG and not the manual (I just wanted to give flappy paddles a go). Reason I sold it, ironically, was not the SMG but the rather lifeless steering and the on/off character of the drive (car didn't seem that happy cruising and went for it like a terrier when you gave it some).
You'll kill both the value and ethos of the CSL, the SMG suits it, just as it does on my e61 M5, I've tried a manual e60 (U.S. Factory rather than a conversion) and honestly though it ruined the character of the car.
Given that most cars can be improved in the same way, for half the money - it really proves that what you are buying is the exclusivity. Exhaust, brakes, airboxes, suspension, steering, weight - you can change all of this in any car - so it really doesn’t matter - mod it anyway lol
Fabulous review, Jack - one of your best I think. You’ve got a knack for articulating difficult-to-quantify elements about the way a car feels and drives. Well done!
Great video! Amazing car. I totally agree with what you say about the E46 M3 in general. Had one years ago and I never felt it for the car. Always preferred my E36 M3 3.0.
Seats based on Recaro pole positions, mini battery and removal of ac as standard removed the bulk of the weight. Carbon roof, interior, lighter exhaust and wheels etc helped round off the savings. All can be obtained from BM or aftermarket. AP brakes and something like Intrax dampers will far exceed the CSL oe setup. You could make a better performing car much cheaper, but the value and appeal is surely the originality.
A great video as always. I feel I need to throw my R230 SL your way to review; with a similar story to your CL! The racks are CSL and CS Specific. The purple tag racks in E36s and 46s are quicker, but some folks feel they are too quick in comparison to th CSL rack Alot of outfits will notwretrofit a carbon roof to get you there. TBH, on a 'sensible' budget, you could keep the rack of a normal M3, but change the suspension, and grab a set of seats, along with either the CSL airbox or a cheaper equivalent (like the Eventuri intake) to get part of the way there. It won't be a car wih the heritage of the CSL, but I suppose it's a cheaper way to get an element of those thrills. The SMG needs good drivetrain components and a happy engine to work right. Otherwise, it makes an old transmission seem that much older and clunkier. I've grown to like the SMG, and have debated converted mine to manual several times over the years, albeit have not for the reasons you allude to (and I go abroad it in quite a bit ; 10k on the clock is probably from miles in Europe). Changing the suspension of mine to Bilstein B16 coilovers transformed the car and its agility. It went from being a bit of a cruiser than happened to grip well, to a car which true agility, pace, and feel, with less effort needed to turn the car into a corner.
2:50 I like this camera angle and I like the scenic drive in the countryside. You have good taste. Give it a bit of visual filters of sorts like Top Gear used to have and drop in some jungle breakcore and your videos would be the bollocks.
The Lotus Evora 400s lap time around the Nurburgring is 9s slower than a CSL, just saying ;). And given that was in 2016 (some 13 years later), where the track had undergone significant improvements that made the track faster (grippier tarmac, smoothing out bumps etc).
100k sounds like a lot, but it seems like a relatively sound investment if you take care of it until it turns 25. Only 422 sold in the UK. Only zero sold in North America.
@AlfaGTA156 in the US, a sub-50k mile regular-ass E46 goes for $50k. Granted, one of the 825 LHD cars will be worth more here than the UK ones, but I don't foresee good RHD ones losing value. Pent-up US demand for forbidden fruit is a real thing. For example, I imagine at some point in the next couple years in the UK, the going price of a 2001-02 Civic Type R will exceed that of 2004-05, as demand outstrips supply.
@@MikeRT4 That is if the US economy is still working then, it's getting bad with poverty. People up top are fudging the numbers and it's going to become very clear very soon.
People are assuming that those assett prices (older cars, yachts, paintings, houses, etc.) will always climb. But during a recession they are normally the first prices that are dropping, because everyone needs money. Nobody knows what the future will look like. So speculating to buy a car that is already way overpriced in order to make money out of them, isnt going to work. We have seen the prices dropping in the US when Covid hit for example. What we see is low interest rates with a booming economy in the US. We had this for almost 15 years now. But that isnt "normality".
Geez your giving it a bit of stick in the wet! For me this represents the last bmw of beautiful design. Ive had an M3 and in the dry, on bells line of road (here in the blue mtns), it felt quicker than my evo9 and sti subaru. Perhaps the awd system (particularly in the evo9) was so good it made the corners feel slower 🤔 However i love in line 6s and ford here made a superb turbo 6 too
The csl only needs a manual box swap, then it's perfect imho, or get a regular m3 with a manual box & lighten it with carbon bonnet, trunk & full bucket seats.
Dream car for me I loved my E46 m3 and loved the smg Did 42k miles in mine as a daily and once used to it it’s a great gearbox certainly more exciting than the lifeless yet perceived better DCT in the E92 which I just found boring in comparison
Thing about the weight difference is that BMW were a bit naughty and the quoted weights they provide for both the regular and csl were not comparing apples with apples. The wet weight of a csl is far closer than 150kg to a cooking m3. Nice car all the same!
It's only a 6kg saving over a standard non-sunroof car and, but a massive 31kg saving vs a sunroof car. You need to do all the weight saving mods to notice a significant difference, the roof was only one of many.
I will never understand the hype about this car today, because you can just buy the E86 Z4M for less money currently and then you have a real sports car. 2 Seater, shorter wheelbase, stiffer, just a real sports car from scratch, not just a factory tuned mass coupe model.
It’s definitely a nice car for sure but at around $200K Aussie it’s way too expensive, especially in context that you can get a M3 for say around $40K, or even more affordable a 330CI for between $10-18K. So is it worth the extra expense, not in my view. Would I want the SMG gearbox, again no thanks, give me a proper manual everyday. Some people have even gone to the trouble/expense of replacing the SMG with a manual box so that too is kind of telling. In day to driving, who needs the gears to change that fast, it really is kind of irrelevant.
@ Yes exactly, cars here are expensive, which is another way of saying they are very cheap in the UK. Hell, out here the average price for a half reasonable E46 318i is between $4-8k, while for a E90 320-325i sedan is between $6-9K !! A E46 320 Ci you might get one for @$6K, but a 330 or even a convertible is always going to be over $10K, with the best as I noted closer to $20K.
Great engine sound, sure it drives really great too and of course the exclusivity will appeal to many. But, a 100k? Not when one can buy really fabulous sports cars for less, a lot less.
It just looks so much better with these upgrades. I think, the regular E46 M3 looks dated, just these beautiful wheels make all the difference. I guess, you could get retrofit rims (BBS?), but that's that's not the point... the details add up and make it special.
I drove one of these at launch on the Silverstone GP circuit and naturally I thought it was amazing but couldn't understand how anyone could live with it in everyday driving without a radio or air-con. Yes, it seems the one you are driving was specified with the offending item(s) so clearly the buyer thought the same!
My thought are the same always about this car. Not just the price the problem. U can not drive it like u stole it because u can not let oneself go with it because of the rarity. If even i had the money for a CSL and i want to buy an E46 M3 i just go to the regular and manual one then buy "some" tune on it, retrofit and u can easily build a ~1400kg car with around 370-380hp with half of money.
Thanks for another excellent video, Jack. I always look forward to your reviews. As far as I can see, this car is not worth anywhere near what they go for. For £30,000 you can get a 7 year old Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio, which blows any M3 CSL out of the water.
An M3 CSL is ludicrously over-valued, true. But I'd take a standard M3 over an Alfa Guilia QV any day. I liked driving the Guilietta Cloverleaf I had a few years ago, but my, what a PITA to own it was. I'd have hoped that the Guilia QV would have improved on that, but according to long term tests at Car and Driver, What Car and Top Gear, it's also woefully unreliable. Shame. Looking at Autotrader, for £30k you'd get a seven year old one, not a four year old.
@jonford6119 Yep, I corrected that to 7 years old. You have a point about reliability on the Giulia but I don't think they are significantly worse than other modern, high tech car. I've had 2 QVs and will probably get another as a keeper. The last great Alfa Romeo IMHO.
Every part is available to ‘CSL-ify’ your standard car, but calibration of the components and being more than a sum of it’s is something to be aware of. See the 911 S/T’s ride compared to the GT3 touring.
Modern BMW manual gearboxes are indeed very boxy and stubborn. My E90 was a very good example of it. I really didn’t like it. The travel seemed like I was actuating robot arms. There was a travel that felt very artificial. Nice review.
My dog has a lovely growl and he is was quite expensive to buy and is to look after(worth every penny). I'm not sure the wonderous growl on this car is worth anywhere near an extra £80,000.
Surely many of us would say, myself included, BMW made better cars during this era than they make in the current 2024/2025 era. I am 53, I have owned a few BMW, the 5 series, I have fond memories of the 1990's, including long drives n the Porsche 993.
A great car, what a shame that it was only available with the SMG transmission - which transforms into a money pit as the car ages. How do I know, I owned a regular M3 fitted with the 'send money gerhard' (SMG) transmission - a transmission that was OK when 'pressing on', clumsy when used in regular motoring conditions such as parking and reversing, and expensive when 'things went wrong'. I now look back on that era of transmissions with the view - thank God that OEMs have now abandoned the roboticized version of the regular manual (single clutch) gearbox. On a related topic there is a business in the USA, named EAG USA, that are fully engaged in performing manual conversions of the Ferrari F360, F430 and later F599s fitted with the single clutch Ferrari F1 transmission - ie. Ferrari's version of the BMW SMG. EAG USA's operations manager stated (some 6-months ago) they had over 40 F360s/F430s and 12 F599 paddle shift Ferraris waiting for the manual gated conversion. I find this interesting as these auto to manual conversions are occurring in the 'land' (USA) of the automatic transmission - which speaks volumes of the roboticized version of the regular manual gearbox.
SMG gearbox was one BMW's first attempts, it's faster than shifting a manual and suits the car. What's interesting is Ferrari had the same tech in the 360 Modena and Spider you never really hear any criticism towards the F1 gearbox.
Had a Carbon black E46 M3 and it did feel DTM especially the amazing engine that loved being pushed If you could live with the constant supply of fault codes on a weekly basis BMWs are money pits £££
Great video, loved mine, but it is a licence loser which is why I didn't keep it, IMO one of the best cars out there - but will always be beaten by the F355
Sir, please, find an E30 like we did, brace and cage it, shift and cut and shove everything from said csl on with 2 turbocharger's then complain about having issue's... We however have had some of the most insane builds give the entire country builds E30 and track them. Usually 😂
0:01 induction noise from heaven
its sad that induction noise seems to be totally ignored in modern cars
we now have farts instead...
i can't stand modern cars as well . The best ones that were build stopped around 2017 or so .
"induction noise seems to be totally ignored in modern cars"
That's one of the not-so-nice effects of turbocharging.
Modern cars don't have ITBs any more, and N/A engines are seemingly a thing of the past as turbos have taken over sapping the sense of drama away from high revving naturally aspirated engines.
@@dlevi67 The 1st thing I do when I get a "new" car is fit a K&N air filter... The one on my BMW E90 is a cone style and fits inside my OG airbox... I removed the underside of the airbox but still receives cool air from the front of the car via it's original path... No heat soak and fantastic induction noise especially in cold weather...
They have always been ignored.... That's why we MOD cars!!!... Whats up with these rose tinted spectacles...... MOD your cars.... Don't be scared, that is what is missing more and more nowadays.
Well, I am one of the people that traded in the standard E46 M3 for an E46 M3 CSL back in the day when it came out (2003). It was definitely worth it at the time and I still have the CSL to this day.
but you can build a E46 Manual transmission m3 for a third of the value for a CSL. As a collector car it is wonderful. Great job catching it early. That is really awesome. i think then it was worth it but now it isn't unless you want that collector grade car.
Having worked at BMW I did drive a M3 then straight into a CSL the difference is the CSL is a track car in the making and if the customer had a racing licence the CSL could be de restricted at delivery and hit 170+mph! worth the extra £10k well the £100k price tag today says yes all day long
I'm not sure if even the normal E46 M3 was restricted. I hit 170mph in mine. I don't believe the car had been flashed, it was completely stock. I've yet to see proof of one hitting the alleged limiter at 155.
@@curtislovrak5390 On all the BMWs, it seems the limiter is quite a bit higher than the stated limit. On the CSL, it is an indicated 167mph (true 161mph). On the E92 it is an indicated 170mph (true 163mph), so makes me laugh when a journalist states they're limited to 155mph, as it shows they have never actually V-maxed the cars.....
The early 2000’s were the best designs for BMW imho. Then we got the Bangle era and now I couldn’t care.
You do know that Bangle had a big part in designing the e46 plus many other beautiful BMWs. He is only remembered for the 7 series. Which in hindsight looks very modern imo.
E38 7 series
E39 5 series
E46 3 series
Were the best looking models imo.
The Bangle era is ugly because of government regulation. They were still very well made cars with naturally aspirated engines that ran forever. The turbo era is garbage. The designs are terrible and the quality is not there like it used to be.
I say this on practically every single CSL video, as sadly it is almost always true - you deride the shift speed, but don't have it on the fastest shift setting, so of course the changes feel slow LOL. You only get the 80ms in S6. Also, NEVER EVER lift. You can hear that this gearbox has been driven like that, as the lifting causes the transimssion DME to adapt to that style of driving, and that is what causes the clutch slur (and that also makes it feel slow).
As to getting a normal M3 to feel like a CSL, you might get the noise and steering, but the only way to get 110kg out of a cooking M3 is with drastic measures (and be aware that this is the minimum amount of the weight saving (albeit of the lightest version of the CSL against the lightest version of an M3 (sans aircon and sunroof). Given almost every M3 has both these options ticked, when Sport Auto weighed an optionless CSL (the one they used for the 7.50 Nurburgring lap time) against a normally optioned M3 (with aircon and sunroof), the difference was actually 150kg . BMW did so many little things to get that weight out, that only fully stripped M3s can get even close.
Such a shame there was no manual version.
@ It was built to showcase all of BMWs emerging technologies (carbon, FRP etc) and the “F1” style gearboxes was all the thing back then. In its defence, it was the best of all the automated manuals, but only the SMG seems to get the all the derision LOL. The Ferrari system was a frankly hopeless 250ms, yet the BMW system at several times that speed gets all the abuse🤦♂️. The 420g is a pretty poor manual as standard and so I don’t mind the CSL’s SMG (especially on track where it shines).
Yeah I came to the comments to see if anyone else thought it sounded like the clutch was slipping after every shift so thought that can't be in the fastest setting surely.
@@seanfaroNoticed the slow shift speed/clutch slip sound too.
Great comment
The bonnet is aluminium on the standard one as well
Peak BMW 3 Series last of the perfect blend of style and performance.
Totally agree with you!
Hmm, e92 V8 pretty spectacular, albeit delicate…
I just wish they made a saloon E46, but at least there's E90 M3.
I preferred the look of the previous 3 series.
The M3 CSL and 911 GT3 of the same period pretty much spawned the era of the light-weight modern sports-coupe, I'd go as far to say that I think BMW pulled it off better in this instance.
Quite a claim, considering what the GT division has gone on to be for Porsche!
@@RUNDMC1just look at the kerb weights of the subsequent products …..
@@RUNDMC1 Yep, but at least the CSL was the catalyst for the subsequent RS models. Andy Preuninger readily admits that it shocked them how fast the car was (as well as it is his favourite BMW) and couldn't believe how it beat the 996.2 GT3's lap time around the 'ring (by 4s). They then buit the RS version of the 996 GT3 to take the record back from BMW, which it did by 3s (same driver - Horst Von Saurma) and then Walter Rohrl shaved a further 4s off that on a warmer day. Sadly BMW never continued to produce a CSL model with every subsequent model iteration, but Porsche DID with the RS and look where they are now. Probably the most respected car brand lead by the most respected engineer. If only BMW's M-sport department had kept on someone as visionary.
The GT3 RS took things a step further
Lightweight lol… a 21 stone human losing a few lbs is still heavy
The bonnet and bumpers are the same on the normal E46 M3, bumpers are composite with carbon weave on the inside. All the CSL weight savings are removing the sound deadening, CF roof and some other areas, the E46 M3 seats are around 30KG each for example, whereas the CSL buckets are half that.
The front bumper on a CSL is fully carbon (and weighs just a few kilos) - which is why it costs £5k, it is plastic on a normal M3. The rear bumper is the same, apart from the diffuser insert on the CSL, which is again fully carbon. I agree that the bonnets are the same on all E46 M3s though.
CS was a great car and it came in the nice interlagos blue!
1:33. The bonnet is aluminum on all E46 M3’s.
Given the level of engineering and cosmetic changes over the standard car, I'm amazed that it was criticised in period for being too expensive. The current prices show how wrong people were.
I don't consider the additional 'performance' over the M3 to be the reason why the CSL version is today more expensive than the regular M3. The prime reason is the CSL's rarity - because the total production amounted to 1,383 cars. The aforesaid figure is miniscule when compared to the 56,133 coupés and 29,633 convertibles of the regular M3.
I think they're great cars and I did consider buying one of these 20 years ago but didn't like the SMG box so bought a 996 GT3 instead. I do agree that manual gearboxes in most M3's are OK but not the best as is the case with my E92 M3. They do look cool (best looking M3 for me), sound great and £100K is strong money but not when you think how much you have to pay for certain Fast Fords these days which are not in the same league as the CSL.
The induction sound is magnificent, it looks superb and it drives brilliantly , bona fide classic .
I'm seemingly in the minority in preferring the SMG to the manual. The manual really wasn't great and the SMG is faster; you just have to know how to use it and have it on the highest setting when pressing on.
Huge regret not buying one of these when they were £25k 😢 Unfortunately I was going through a turbo phase at the time.
CAE Racing shifter for manual M3. It's perfection.
bmw is never worth it. don't be stupid.
Such a shame that the vehicle was not available with a manual. As the car ages, the SMG becomes a money pit - how do I know, I owned one.
I drove both and chose SMG when purchasing mine
@georgebettiol8338 my dad owns an E46 M3 SMG and my uncle an E60 M5 (obviously SMG) and no issues with either yet. They've had these cars for maybe 7 or 8 years now.
All that really fails is the pump, you get a new one and that's it. On the whole they're very reliable and it's somewhat overblown like the IMS thing.
Smashing through the gears on an SMG is an absolute riot.
That car does sound glorious! One of the last great BMWs
You've got to push it hard on the track to feel the benefits of the CSL.
I think the bonnets are aluminium on the E46 M3 too.
He did say that.
@@jazzhands7771 No, he said it was unique to the CSL.
I owned one for 6 years.. agree on the manual 6 speed it wasn’t the best and only those that haven’t owned and lived long term with the SMG criticise it. Set at its fastest changes and driven quick it’s fine for a car as old as it is. Just don’t ever drive it in auto. In fairness older GT3 are demanding mad money these days and this car could keep with and even beat a GT3 of the same era on track at the time all be it a little more fragile than the Porsche if driven hard. Great cars and I miss mine. Plus look at it.. they are lovely looking cars and drive great.
Great looking and sounding but at that price it’s a fantasy car for me. There are many other cars I’d pick over it that are much cheaper. Definitely not worth 4-5x more than a regular M3.
SMG suits the car, I drive mine in S5 and it is superb. Most people commenting likely just get their information from the internet rather than first hand experience.
This must be the best sounding inline 6 engine ever.
Errr, the M88 in the M1 would like a quiet word…
@@Cheburator13 he can say it VERY quietly 😜
I’ve got an e46 M3 with a Karbonius intake and I think my TVR Cerbera with speed six engine sounds way better. Completely different league.
I had E28, E34 and E39. This was still the era when BMW's looked good. They have always been money pits but in much lesser scale in the early 2000's. Now my mechanic said that new BMW's are about the WORST cars around... and most expensive to maintain (along with Audis). And they're ugly as hell. Bring back the classic Beemers like this shape!
They still look good now
@@adamevo6. Yeah, they may be much less reliable nowadays. But there are some good-looking new beemers! 👍💯
@@adamevo6Should've gone to Specsavers.
@@Kylirr 😂 old but gold
E46 is peak bmw to me and the csl the ultimate beautiful car
Thank you for this video! Interesting how this BMW seemed to be a tribute to the 1970s classic.
There is a review from an unknown channel (its on yt too) with a m3 an Alpina and a Hartge V8. The CSL is kinda missing from that one.
Reviews should be like that one.
The V8 was a beast ha.
The car is perfectly proportioned. I would have this over a new one any day.
E46 M3 SMGII [not a CSL] was my first non-manual car. In 20 years driving prior, I'd never even contemplated anything but a stick; alas a bad back determined otherwise. In the normal world, it was fine. A few year later, I test drove a DCT E92 at Long Beach BMW, The last car I thought I'd buy was another M3, but the V8 and ultra-rapid gear change [again, normal world - I'm not a racecar driver] combined were a revelation. Felt like true progress. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for subsequent incarnations.
Certainly sounds lovely. I have a recollection of this being on Top Gear when new and getting slated for the SMG, not just for the speed of changes but also because it performed very poorly in regular traffic, car parks etc and was hard to get in to reverse. May be misremembering if it was this but there was definitely one lightweight BMW where they'd replaced the boot lining with cardboard to save weight too.
@@cruachan1191 The infamous cardboard floor - another fallacy🤣.
@@MikeRT4 Thanks, thought it was this car!
Automated clutch (manual) transmissions such as the SMG are generally poor performers in regular traffic conditions. What's more they are complex and become a money pit as the car ages. How do I know, I owned one - so never again.
@@MikeRT4 Except it's not - the boot floor is two sheets of grp with a cardboard sandwich inbetween...
@@romanholidaycandybat No it’s not🤣. The boot floor is metal like on all E46 M3s😛. The “cover” for the boot floor is made of carpet covered fibre-board (not GRP), like practically every car ever made (that has any type of “wheel-well”) and your shopping will most certainly not fall through it as implied by Mr Clarkson🤣🤦♂️.
The only 'problem' with the CSL was that BWM didn't build nearly enough of them and now they are hugely expensive. Awesome piece of kit.
Lot of people has deposits on one but chickened out. It didn’t sell when new. Prices were higher than normal M3s but not by a big margin until maybe last 8 years. As every man and his dog jumped on what the next Classic car gravy train
Why the hype?
Because my friend with 10K more money back then you had a car 42sec faster on the Nürburgring…
You bought the best sounding six cylinder engine and one of the best looking BMWs ever made
And last but not least you got the feeling of “pure driving pleasure” that BMW advertised back then..
Now THIS is a BMW, those glorious induction and exhaust notes 🤤
Another great video, Jack, thanks very much indeed.
How about a review on something a lottle oddball; a Mk1 Suzuki Ignis Sport?
Good Video however as MikeRT4 mentions you are not running on the fastest shift setting and listening to your shifts you was lifting please never ever lift :) Yes the SMG2 is not that good compared to what we have now days but as you mentioned it fits the car. Small correction the Bumper is Carbon and the boot is Plastic (top duck part).
Brakes, parts availability and finding a decent one are the main weak point on these. With a clear road the SMGII is fun in S5 or S6. Manual is more fun more of the time simply because of more involvement and more engaging. SMGII was great for its time and yes I’ve driven it and do like both boxes.
The best straight 6 is the Australian built Italian tuned Valiant Charger in 1971. E49. With Weber side draft were standard thats 3 double barrels! 4.3 litre. Held the fastest 400m deag times for nearly 20 years for a Factory spec'd Ozzie built car. A rare and valuable car today but many clones have been built too.
Lovely example - great stance.
Premier TH-cam automotive content right here ❤❤❤
Great review. Owned an M3 at one point, always had to defend why I went for the SMG and not the manual (I just wanted to give flappy paddles a go). Reason I sold it, ironically, was not the SMG but the rather lifeless steering and the on/off character of the drive (car didn't seem that happy cruising and went for it like a terrier when you gave it some).
Drop your CSL off with Darragh at Everything M for a manual conversion, problem solved and dream coupe unlocked 🔓 👌🏼
Why, you'd kill the value of it.
You'll kill both the value and ethos of the CSL, the SMG suits it, just as it does on my e61 M5, I've tried a manual e60 (U.S. Factory rather than a conversion) and honestly though it ruined the character of the car.
Given that most cars can be improved in the same way, for half the money - it really proves that what you are buying is the exclusivity. Exhaust, brakes, airboxes, suspension, steering, weight - you can change all of this in any car - so it really doesn’t matter - mod it anyway lol
What a great looking car and that straight 6!!!
That sounds awesome!
Fabulous review, Jack - one of your best I think. You’ve got a knack for articulating difficult-to-quantify elements about the way a car feels and drives. Well done!
Great video! Amazing car. I totally agree with what you say about the E46 M3 in general. Had one years ago and I never felt it for the car. Always preferred my E36 M3 3.0.
I never knew they did a black CSL. Must be a super rare, already rare car.
Just over a quarter of the UK allocation were delivered in Sapphire Black.
Seats based on Recaro pole positions, mini battery and removal of ac as standard removed the bulk of the weight. Carbon roof, interior, lighter exhaust and wheels etc helped round off the savings. All can be obtained from BM or aftermarket. AP brakes and something like Intrax dampers will far exceed the CSL oe setup. You could make a better performing car much cheaper, but the value and appeal is surely the originality.
The seats are based off the SPGs, not the PPs ;).
A great video as always. I feel I need to throw my R230 SL your way to review; with a similar story to your CL!
The racks are CSL and CS Specific. The purple tag racks in E36s and 46s are quicker, but some folks feel they are too quick in comparison to th CSL rack
Alot of outfits will notwretrofit a carbon roof to get you there.
TBH, on a 'sensible' budget, you could keep the rack of a normal M3, but change the suspension, and grab a set of seats, along with either the CSL airbox or a cheaper equivalent (like the Eventuri intake) to get part of the way there. It won't be a car wih the heritage of the CSL, but I suppose it's a cheaper way to get an element of those thrills.
The SMG needs good drivetrain components and a happy engine to work right. Otherwise, it makes an old transmission seem that much older and clunkier. I've grown to like the SMG, and have debated converted mine to manual several times over the years, albeit have not for the reasons you allude to (and I go abroad it in quite a bit ; 10k on the clock is probably from miles in Europe).
Changing the suspension of mine to Bilstein B16 coilovers transformed the car and its agility. It went from being a bit of a cruiser than happened to grip well, to a car which true agility, pace, and feel, with less effort needed to turn the car into a corner.
2:50 I like this camera angle and I like the scenic drive in the countryside. You have good taste. Give it a bit of visual filters of sorts like Top Gear used to have and drop in some jungle breakcore and your videos would be the bollocks.
Keeping my Evora. Solves the steering, sounds great, faster, costs less, feels lovely.
The Lotus Evora 400s lap time around the Nurburgring is 9s slower than a CSL, just saying ;). And given that was in 2016 (some 13 years later), where the track had undergone significant improvements that made the track faster (grippier tarmac, smoothing out bumps etc).
100k sounds like a lot, but it seems like a relatively sound investment if you take care of it until it turns 25.
Only 422 sold in the UK.
Only zero sold in North America.
Wait, what 100k 🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@AlfaGTA156 in the US, a sub-50k mile regular-ass E46 goes for $50k.
Granted, one of the 825 LHD cars will be worth more here than the UK ones, but I don't foresee good RHD ones losing value.
Pent-up US demand for forbidden fruit is a real thing. For example, I imagine at some point in the next couple years in the UK, the going price of a 2001-02 Civic Type R will exceed that of 2004-05, as demand outstrips supply.
@@AlfaGTA156Wait and see the values in 2028 when the American market opens up😜
@@MikeRT4 That is if the US economy is still working then, it's getting bad with poverty. People up top are fudging the numbers and it's going to become very clear very soon.
People are assuming that those assett prices (older cars, yachts, paintings, houses, etc.) will always climb. But during a recession they are normally the first prices that are dropping, because everyone needs money. Nobody knows what the future will look like. So speculating to buy a car that is already way overpriced in order to make money out of them, isnt going to work. We have seen the prices dropping in the US when Covid hit for example.
What we see is low interest rates with a booming economy in the US. We had this for almost 15 years now. But that isnt "normality".
Local guy has one in silver.
With the registration number M3 CSL....
@@grandtrousers You’re from up North then, the car is in our group. The registration was bought on Collection Cars for £47k a few years ago😱.
Geez your giving it a bit of stick in the wet! For me this represents the last bmw of beautiful design. Ive had an M3 and in the dry, on bells line of road (here in the blue mtns), it felt quicker than my evo9 and sti subaru. Perhaps the awd system (particularly in the evo9) was so good it made the corners feel slower 🤔
However i love in line 6s and ford here made a superb turbo 6 too
TC was clearly on and he had good tyres, so no problem :).
Thanks Jack. A thorough and thoughtful review. It is a lovely machine.
The csl only needs a manual box swap, then it's perfect imho, or get a regular m3 with a manual box & lighten it with carbon bonnet, trunk & full bucket seats.
A fantastic riding, very good looking sportscoupé. A car for a true car enthusiast. Expensive, sure, but it will hold it's value.
Dream car for me
I loved my E46 m3 and loved the smg
Did 42k miles in mine as a daily and once used to it it’s a great gearbox certainly more exciting than the lifeless yet perceived better DCT in the E92 which I just found boring in comparison
Thing about the weight difference is that BMW were a bit naughty and the quoted weights they provide for both the regular and csl were not comparing apples with apples. The wet weight of a csl is far closer than 150kg to a cooking m3. Nice car all the same!
I had the OEM carbon roof retrofitted on my old M3. It added to the coolness factor but made very little difference in terms of performance.
It's only a 6kg saving over a standard non-sunroof car and, but a massive 31kg saving vs a sunroof car. You need to do all the weight saving mods to notice a significant difference, the roof was only one of many.
I will never understand the hype about this car today, because you can just buy the E86 Z4M for less money currently and then you have a real sports car.
2 Seater, shorter wheelbase, stiffer, just a real sports car from scratch, not just a factory tuned mass coupe model.
They were virtually sale-proof at the time. My dealership sold one during its entire life cycle.
Excellent work as ever Jack. Cheers for the video
Top 10 comment!
I remember sitting in one at a "car show" when they were released. My instant (achievable) dream car.
It’s definitely a nice car for sure but at around $200K Aussie it’s way too expensive, especially in context that you can get a M3 for say around $40K, or even more affordable a 330CI for between $10-18K. So is it worth the extra expense, not in my view. Would I want the SMG gearbox, again no thanks, give me a proper manual everyday. Some people have even gone to the trouble/expense of replacing the SMG with a manual box so that too is kind of telling. In day to driving, who needs the gears to change that fast, it really is kind of irrelevant.
Australia just sounds horrible for cars.... a 330ci is 2k beater over here.... 200k is brand new Mclaren money!!!!!!
@ Yes exactly, cars here are expensive, which is another way of saying they are very cheap in the UK. Hell, out here the average price for a half reasonable E46 318i is between $4-8k, while for a E90 320-325i sedan is between $6-9K !! A E46 320 Ci you might get one for @$6K, but a 330 or even a convertible is always going to be over $10K, with the best as I noted closer to $20K.
@@1240enzo MAD!!!!
@@PaulinesSonIt’s just how it is.
@@1240enzo 💯
Have you seen Ken Tyrell’s review of the De Tomaso Pantera with his joy and enthusiasm for the car .
Great engine sound, sure it drives really great too and of course the exclusivity will appeal to many. But, a 100k? Not when one can buy really fabulous sports cars for less, a lot less.
It just looks so much better with these upgrades. I think, the regular E46 M3 looks dated, just these beautiful wheels make all the difference. I guess, you could get retrofit rims (BBS?), but that's that's not the point... the details add up and make it special.
That's a proper old-school Playboy car! 👍💯⭐️
I drove one of these at launch on the Silverstone GP circuit and naturally I thought it was amazing but couldn't understand how anyone could live with it in everyday driving without a radio or air-con. Yes, it seems the one you are driving was specified with the offending item(s) so clearly the buyer thought the same!
You just ticked those options if you wanted them - only 9 UK cars were zero optioned, so they’re rarer than rare🤣🤦♂️.
My thought are the same always about this car. Not just the price the problem. U can not drive it like u stole it because u can not let oneself go with it because of the rarity. If even i had the money for a CSL and i want to buy an E46 M3 i just go to the regular and manual one then buy "some" tune on it, retrofit and u can easily build a ~1400kg car with around 370-380hp with half of money.
Disagree, I use mine properly😛.
@@MikeRT4 enjoy :)
@@negrusz 🙏
Thanks for another excellent video, Jack. I always look forward to your reviews. As far as I can see, this car is not worth anywhere near what they go for. For £30,000 you can get a 7 year old Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio, which blows any M3 CSL out of the water.
Thanks chap, glad you enjoyed it. The Alfa is a much more modern car..
I do feel you are missing the point by a staggering margin
An M3 CSL is ludicrously over-valued, true. But I'd take a standard M3 over an Alfa Guilia QV any day. I liked driving the Guilietta Cloverleaf I had a few years ago, but my, what a PITA to own it was. I'd have hoped that the Guilia QV would have improved on that, but according to long term tests at Car and Driver, What Car and Top Gear, it's also woefully unreliable. Shame. Looking at Autotrader, for £30k you'd get a seven year old one, not a four year old.
@jonford6119 Yep, I corrected that to 7 years old. You have a point about reliability on the Giulia but I don't think they are significantly worse than other modern, high tech car. I've had 2 QVs and will probably get another as a keeper. The last great Alfa Romeo IMHO.
yeah BUT its not a CSL!
Very good review, thanks!
Every part is available to ‘CSL-ify’ your standard car, but calibration of the components and being more than a sum of it’s is something to be aware of. See the 911 S/T’s ride compared to the GT3 touring.
Not OEM, only aftermarket.
@@MikeRT4well some OEM CSL parts are still available, others not.
@@gerardwalsh4724 The parts that are still available are eye-wateringly expensive and the ones that aren't available are even more so LOL....
This is the best BMW engine ever. I would convert to a manual gearbox. It's not that difficult because the gearbox as it basically is a manual box.
Modern BMW manual gearboxes are indeed very boxy and stubborn. My E90 was a very good example of it. I really didn’t like it.
The travel seemed like I was actuating robot arms. There was a travel that felt very artificial.
Nice review.
hood is aluminium in all of them, not just the CSL.
My dog has a lovely growl and he is was quite expensive to buy and is to look after(worth every penny). I'm not sure the wonderous growl on this car is worth anywhere near an extra £80,000.
Ah, but does it have a carbon roof?
(Enjoy the dog - many times the satisfaction of _any_ car)
@@dlevi67 ain't nothing truer than that.
@@dlevi67 No ; doesn't need one. Thanks very much.
Surely many of us would say, myself included, BMW made better cars during this era than they make in the current 2024/2025 era.
I am 53, I have owned a few BMW, the 5 series, I have fond memories of the 1990's, including long drives n the Porsche 993.
Thanks for the video!
Buy non csl m3 and modify it and make it better than csl with just a 10-20k on the top of the normal m3
A great car, what a shame that it was only available with the SMG transmission - which transforms into a money pit as the car ages. How do I know, I owned a regular M3 fitted with the 'send money gerhard' (SMG) transmission - a transmission that was OK when 'pressing on', clumsy when used in regular motoring conditions such as parking and reversing, and expensive when 'things went wrong'. I now look back on that era of transmissions with the view - thank God that OEMs have now abandoned the roboticized version of the regular manual (single clutch) gearbox.
On a related topic there is a business in the USA, named EAG USA, that are fully engaged in performing manual conversions of the Ferrari F360, F430 and later F599s fitted with the single clutch Ferrari F1 transmission - ie. Ferrari's version of the BMW SMG. EAG USA's operations manager stated (some 6-months ago) they had over 40 F360s/F430s and 12 F599 paddle shift Ferraris waiting for the manual gated conversion. I find this interesting as these auto to manual conversions are occurring in the 'land' (USA) of the automatic transmission - which speaks volumes of the roboticized version of the regular manual gearbox.
SMG gearbox was one BMW's first attempts, it's faster than shifting a manual and suits the car. What's interesting is Ferrari had the same tech in the 360 Modena and Spider you never really hear any criticism towards the F1 gearbox.
The biggest problem with the SMG gearbox is learning to drive it correctly, once you get the hang of it, it's actually bloody good.
Great review 🔥👌🏾
Fantastic looking car!
It really is dude!!
421in the UK. Mine went back to the factory 😊
@@63chalkie There’s far less than that now - only around 300, as loads have been exported.
The TVR Tuscan sounds better
With a manual transmition would be even lighter 🙌🙌
The bonnet on all E46 M3's are aluminium
Very cool car , thanks to the owner ❤❤❤❤
Please test Fiat Otto Vu 8V from the 1950
Very difficult to get hold of otherwise I’d love to
@@Number27 There are some in UK also at least one Siata spider Otto Vu!
All E46 M3 bonnets are aluminium, not just the CSL
Had a Carbon black E46 M3 and it did feel DTM especially the amazing engine that loved being pushed
If you could live with the constant supply of fault codes on a weekly basis BMWs are money pits £££
Pop over to Italy and review the new Ypsilon !
Please test Glas V8 3.0
He could ask the german Glas GT owners club when he travels to Holland he might visit a german Glas Frua Gt V8 owner
Great video, loved mine, but it is a licence loser which is why I didn't keep it, IMO one of the best cars out there - but will always be beaten by the F355
Great car but I could never get comfortable in those seats, due to the non adjustable backrest.
A wonderful car
Great episode
Thank you
What about the rear wheel geometry being altered, that must offer a substantial alteration in cornering response?
Sir, please, find an E30 like we did, brace and cage it, shift and cut and shove everything from said csl on with 2 turbocharger's then complain about having issue's... We however have had some of the most insane builds give the entire country builds E30 and track them. Usually 😂
Great engine......imo best m3 before it was spoilt by v8s and turbos 😢
Just wondering, do you know what C5's typically dyno at the rear wheels?