Z4MC - M3 CSL

Yeah, I had a CSL for 3 years from 2006 to 2009.....brilliant, brilliant car at the time, probably the most rewarding car I've ever owned and driven (and that includes stuff at way over 3 times the cost). I have a Z4MC now, great little fun rocket of a car, not in the same league as a CSL in it's stock format, but then, it's half the price of a half decent one now.

Which one are you thinking of buying?
 
Currently have a Z4MC and think im ready for a change. Been driving them for the past 3 years.

Looking for something along the lines of CSL or GT3 etc.
Considering cost to change i would have to be very convinced.
 
I guess now is the time to buy a CSL, there's not many reasonably priced ones left! Dealers are jumping all over them and bumping them up to silly money.
 
04 plate CSL at Hexagon, only £46k !!!! http://www.hexagonmoderns.com/car_sales/BMW-M3-CSL/8340.htm. :rofl:
 
The CSL is a truly great car, much more than the sum of it's parts. It's an event to drive, takes 4 people, much more comfortable than the Z4, makes such a great noise you can't help but go through tunnel after tunnel (A1 at Hatfield was my favourite). If money is not such an issue and you can afford it, then why not, you won't be disappointed.

That being said, I'm not sure they are really worth the extra money to change to be honest...I think people are over paying for them now (I paid £29k in 2006 for a 25k mile one). As I said it's a great car, but at £37k for a decent one that's an awful lot of money. However, if it continues to appreciate then it's a great buy all round.

If I had £40k spare it'd be on my list to revisit, but I'd probably opt for a GT3 or a 997 TT.
 
I think that for a public road-driven car, most of the CSL's character is due to the gorgeous soundtrack, so by installing a nice sounding intake on the Z4M you'll be most of the way there.

I've driven a friends CSL for a day once, it was on Nitron suspension, AP brakes and shitty Chinese budget tires. The sound was glorious, the ride was very firm (as expected) and the feel from the car was absolutely HORRIBLE. My Z4M on stock suspension but good tires had much better steering feel and much more connection between the front and rear axles, I don't know how to explain it but the CSL felt as if there was about a second's lag between when you asked the front axle to do something and then the rear axle following. I am confident though that that is due to the bad tires on the M3. His brakes defintiely felt better than my own Stoptech kit, the intake noise was addictive, the straight-line speed was maybe better but i honestly couldn't tell from behind the wheel (he does beat me in highway drag races though :P ), the looks were awesome but the Z4's are better and I know for a fact that his car is much faster than mine on the same track (he has dedicated track tires). That said after driving it i've not really felt the need that i need to drive it again and if my car had a similar soundtrack it'd be almost as good if not better overall.

Again, the cheap tires are probably at fault there and probably with a decent set the car would feel much better but that's the way i experienced it anyway...

For me, i've no use for 4 seats in my sporty car, my car's plenty fast already, looks amazing, sounds amazing and i'm not so fussed about lap-times. My Z4M is just right for me at the moment.
 
Thanks for the talk.

I've been driving an 8 series for the past 3 weeks and forgotten how good these z4s are.
Still so fun, I have a gruppe m and it does sound ace.

However I have never been in the same cars for more than 6 months before, let alone 3 years.

Once the right CSL comes on the market I'll take it out.
I'll keep you all posted.

Angus
 
£40k is probably not far off Audi R8 money! The CSL is a great car, but i imagine this is in a completely different league. Your talking supercar territory, rather than a rich mans M3 8)

Few Quick Examples...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/audi/r8/audi-r8/2212815

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/audi/r8/audi-r8-bandamp-o-mag-fash-carbon-fibre-10k-options/2835128
 
simonlpearce said:
The CSL is a great car, but i imagine this is in a completely different league.
Click to expand...
According to wiki the m3 csl is a fair bit quicker around the nordschleife than the R8 V8.
(the csl time is very quick though, 32 sec quicker than the regular e46m3. That is a big difference.. there is no info on the tyres used etc)
 
GuidoK said:
simonlpearce said:
The CSL is a great car, but i imagine this is in a completely different league.
Click to expand...
According to wiki the m3 csl is a fair bit quicker around the nordschleife than the R8 V8.
(the csl time is very quick though, 32 sec quicker than the regular e46m3. That is a big difference.. there is no info on the tyres used etc)
Click to expand...

Well that i didn't know, and having a look on paper they are both 0-62 in 4.6/8secs (at least the V8 that is), but i would still rather roll in an R8 than a CSL. Its a better looking car in every way if you ask me.

Oh and lets not forget the explosive SMG box in the CSL :wink:
 
The CSL did that with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup semi-slick tires which was the stock fitment. But i'm not sure if it actually did that time or not, I seem to remember reading somewhere that it wasn't a timed lap but a theoretical best lap, by taking all the best sector times from previous lap-times. :idunno:
 
Yep, it was a timed lap on the Cups. I do think there is a certain coolness about the CSL that a 'cheap' R8 will never have. I'm guessing you'll potentially pull more women in the R8, but the CSL will be admired more by other car loving folk....
 
Angelus666 said:
Yep, it was a timed lap on the Cups. I do think there is a certain coolness about the CSL that a 'cheap' R8 will never have. I'm guessing you'll potentially pull more women in the R8, but the CSL will be admired more by other car loving folk....
Click to expand...

I just look at the R8 and can't see anything but footballers and WAGs and it's not an image I'd personally want to replicate.....maybe I would for a V10!

My £40k would go towards an E30 M3 EVOII, but if not available, a CSL would get the money over the R8.....

That said for £40k, DB9's start to factor in too!

EDIT: When I got my Z4MC, CSLs could be had with mileage at 50-60k for around 25-28k....maybe I should have throw another £8k into my budget and gone with the CSL
 
simonlpearce said:
Surely a DB9 is in just the same league as the R8 though :wink:
Click to expand...
Not in maintenance....
If something breaks on your m3 csl: it's expensive
If something breaks on your r8: it's also expensive
If something breaks on your db9....... you buy a m3 csl because that's less expensive than the repair....

The m3 csl on cup tyres explains a lot about the fast time on the ring.

I'm guessing that in 20 years the m3 csl will be the most expensive one of the three
 
^^^ I meant in terms of the likes of people driving them. Remind me never to get into a technical argument you though, you know your onions when it comes to cars :)

Agreed that the CSL will be worth the most though.
 
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