The BMW that used carbon fiber 20 years ago to be lighter, a low-mileage M3 CSL E46 on sale in Italy

The letters CSL are among the most desirable you can have on a BMW. There haven't been many models in the brand's history that have them. A BMW 3.0 CSL in 1973, then this BMW M3 CSL launched in 2003, and now in 2023, there's a modern M4 CSL. They are all coupes, and the modern one has the index M4, because there is no longer an M3 Coupe. In 2003, 20 years ago, it existed, however. And this car remained legendary, although only 1,383 cars were produced!

CSL stands for coupe, sport and light, or Coupe Sport Leichtbau in German. And this BMW M3 CSL had major differences from a normal M3 E46. First of all, it weighed only 1,385 kg, being 110 kg lighter than a regular M3. And this difference was achieved through several body components created from carbon fiber, already then, 20 years ago!

In addition to that, plastic reinforced with glass fiber or carbon fiber was used, the rear window was thinner to be lighter, the sound insulation had also been given up for lightness. The seats were simple shells, without electrical adjustments, the navigation system and even the audio and air conditioning systems had been abandoned! The last two, however, could be left, without extra charge, if the person who ordered the car wanted.

The steering wheel no longer had the usual controls for the audio system or cruise control, but only an M button, which activated the M mode for the circuit. The car kept an ideal balance of 50 to 50 weight between the axles, and the power of the 6-cylinder in-line engine had increased by 17 HP, to 360 HP, and the torque reached 370 Nm. The engine was naturally aspirated, by the way, 3.2 liters.

Therefore, only 1,383 copies were produced, manufactured in 2003, between June and December. The car we are talking about today left the gates of the Regensburg factory on July 1, 2003 and is in gray, one of only two colors available for this model. It was owned from 2003 to 2002 by the same owner in Germany, and in January 2022 it was bought by the company specializing in collector cars that is now selling it, after revitalizing it and keeping it.

The car has only 77,800 km on its odometer, so lower thant 50K miles, but its current owners considered it necessary to change the rear differential, including the half-axles, in order to guarantee its impeccable mechanical condition.

The car has had 16 visits to official BMW services in the 20 years, for maintenance, the last one being from November 2021, and then, in 2022, the differential was replaced with a new one.

This example has the speed limit modified to 280 km/h, and its current owners have made a query to the BMW factory to find out if this modification was made by the factory, at the time of production, or afterwards. They were confirmed to be an original modification, ticked off by the owner when configuring his car, which is how this M3 CSL left the factory gate.

Another element that the first buyer ticked for this copy is the air conditioning. The audio system was missing, but there is air conditioning.

Therefore, with all its certifications, checks and full history, this BMW M3 CSL, one of only 1,383 produced, is such a rare gem that it will be sold at an Italian auction in May on the shores of Lake Como at Concorso d'Eleganza. Usually, cars with an age of only 20 years do not appear there. But this BMW M3 CSL is too special and was accepted at that auction where classic and historic cars will be sold with prices of many millions of dollars. Sure, this copy won't cost millions, at least it's not estimated to cost that much, but a 6-figure price is guaranteed!