Just a couple of months after its confirmation by the head of BMW M, the company’s performance division has been spotted testing its modern take on the iconic 3.0 CSL around the Nurburgring.
A video surfaced on YouTube recently, courtesy of CarSpyMedia, showing what clearly looks to be none other than the M4-based 3.0 CSL prototype during its dynamic testing at the ‘Ring. We can hear an aggressive exhaust note and see very tail-happy handling characteristics.
We reported back in June that Franciscus van Meel, head of BMW M, had posted a photo of a camouflaged CSL prototype to celebrate the 50th anniversary of M division.
The modern day revival of the 3.0 CSL is expected to come as a lightweight and heavily modified version of the current M4 platform, with power rumoured to be north of 447kW/700Nm from the 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six, over the stock M4 CSL’s 404kW/649Nm output.
Interestingly, the prototype spotted at the Nurburgring was wearing a number of hidden messages on its camouflaged skin, including “I donut care” and “6MT FTW”. These translate to ‘six [speed] manual transmission for the win” and obviously something about having the ability to do donuts. This is effectively a confirmation of the 3.0 CSL receiving a six-speed manual transmission instead of the eight-speed automatic in the M4 CSL.
It’s somewhat bitter-sweet news, though, considering that it’s rumoured that BMW is going to cap production of its 3.0 CSL revival to just 50 units, and it will reportedly wear a price tag anywhere between half to three-quarters of a million euros.
This aggressive pricing for the limited-edition 3.0 CSL hommage was reflected by one particular sticker on the spotted prototype reading “I like it rare”. More details will emerge of BMW M’s specifications, performance hardware and prices for the 3.0 CSL closer to its rumoured launch later this year. Take a look below for a preview.
