How much is the real deal worth? 58% of you chose the CLK Black Series over the ho-hum example. Well well, since money is no object, allow me to pull out another rare German coupe. They only made 50 of them, they were hand-built, and they weren’t even sold here. Yes, I speak (type?) of the 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL.
Yes, the new one. And the old one.
The 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL vs the 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL
A few years ago, I wrote an article about this new-at-the-time M car. It was built to celebrate the division’s 50th birthday, and as I teased above, it was hand-built.
Sure it was manual only, had a carbon fiber body, and has the most powerful version of the S58 to date. But it’s really just an M4 in a Batman costume. BMW never listed a price, but rumors say they wanted about $800,000 for a copy. And though it was never sold in the U.S., you could always get a show car exemption. Two owners already have.
Thing is, it’ll cost you. I found no less than five for sale, some as far away as Dubai, and they all go for well over a million. All for what, a meh manual shifter? I can’t image a worse deal.
Or can I? Because right now Cars & Bids has an original Batmobile, and it’s pretty rare too, especially this one.
The 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL
This dealer sells cars, but also houses, boats – anything luxury. As a result, prices seem inflated at best for all their cars ($144k for an M4 KITH?). But the rarity means they might just get away with it. Let’s pick the most expensive one available:
- Listed at $2,306,667
- One of just 50 made
- For sale in Saudi Arabia
- 1,654 km, or about 1,027 miles
- The listing is woefully inaccurate – they call it an M4 multiple times and say it’s an automatic
- Available only in Alpine White with M tricolor stripes, all hand-painted
- Those wheels are just gold center lock M Performance models, shhhh don’t tell
- Titanium muffler, carbon bucket seats – it’s like an M4 CSL had a baby with a regular base M4 because it’s…
- Manual only. Check out the cool gear knob.
This would absolutely positively get you all the eyeballs at a show. Bros would beg for rides and high fives. Its distinctive carbon fiber body means no one on Earth can replicate a kit. But my friends, trust me – I don’t need to drive one to tell you that it’s going to feel like an overpowered M4.
$2.3 million dollars, and it isn’t even an original.
The 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL
I’m not a big fan of cars from eras before I was born – I don’t remember ’em. But we can make an exception in this case.
- Polaris Metallic with M stripes over black interior
- 11,000 km, or about 6,835 miles
- Missing the City Package (a good thing), — plexiglass side windows, no sound deadening, no power steering, no air conditioning, and more for reduced weight
- Those are Alpina wheels!
- Scheel sport seats – all of this is totally stock
- There’s a mark on the hood, and the tires are seven years old. Otherwise pretty flawless
- 3.2-liter M30 inline-6, rated at 206 horsepower and 215 lb-ft of torque. There’s a four-speed manual transmission.
- Bid to $125,000 so far
No, it’s not $2.3 million, but these original examples can get pricey too. Here’s one that sold for over $400,000. The white with M stripes seems to be the example to get, but this silver tri-color is nearly as desirable. I bet you’d get as many eyeballs on Sunday mornings too, but more importantly, this car was made to be driven. It’s raw – Plexiglass?!
Bet it’s fun! Bet the new CSL isn’t even close. Which would you want?
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