Unlike Audi, BMW always puts a lot more effort into the driving experience. They need to be fast, but they also need to provide balanced handling, sharp steering, and good throttle response. And the BMW E46 M3 CSL did all that almost perfectly. From the sonorous, naturally-aspirated inline-6 to the sharp and agile handling, this particular M3 will get you nearest to driving nirvana of (probably) any other German car in history.
The CSL was the improved, lightweight edition of the standard (already tremendous) E46 M3. It knocked 242.5 pounds (110 kilograms) off the regular model — without even losing the rear seats! This was the result of painstakingly cutting the weight on any part possible. The M3 CSL was even the first BMW with a carbon-fiber roof, something way more exotic in the early 2000s than it is today.
However, the car’s inline-6 masterpiece steals the show. In the M3 CSL, the 3.2-liter unit produces 355 hp @7,900 rpm and 272 lb-ft of torque, enough for a 0-62 mph acceleration time of just 4.9 seconds. Moreover, the sound it produced is probably one of the best in the automotive history. Angry and with racecar tonality, the M3 CSL engine still sends shivers down your spine.
It’s a shame that BMW went with a slow and clunky robotized SMG transmission for the CSL, as it takes away from the experience. Do a manual swap, though, and the E46 M3 CSL will become the culmination of driving excellence.
