2023 BMW 3.0 CSL is a Retro-Styled 50th Birthday Celebration of M

Underneath the bespoke bodywork is the most powerful six-cylinder BMW has ever produced. Just 50 examples of the 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL will be available.

Some folks stretch their birthday celebrations into an entire week. BMW’s M division has spent the entire year celebrating 50 years of quick Bimmers, from celebratory hood emblems, a new M2, and the debut of the range-topping XM SUV. The folks at Munich have saved the best for last, revealing the ultra-limited 3.0 CSL.

As the badge implies, this two-door draws inspiration from the classic ’70s car of the same name. The base is the excellent M4 CSL we just drove, but nearly every body part is unique—some of which are made by hand. There are nods to the classic car everywhere you look: big cutouts low in the bumper for more cooling; hood-mounted air fins; and the big, boxy rear wing. This time, the latter doesn’t come shipped in the trunk, either. BMW has carried over the M4 CSL’s cool yellow headlights too, which not only hark back to classic race cars, but the current M4 GT3 too. Sitting between those peepers is a reshaped kidney grille, with a unique satin aluminum finish shared with the window trim. Hey BMW: this grille looks great, please transfer this shape to the regular M3/M4 too.

Sizeable fender flares wrap around pretty gold wheels, sized 20 inches up front and 21 out back. They come wrapped in unique Michelin rubber with “50” embossed on the sidewall.

Of course, the whole package coming in the striking Alpine White paint with tri-color stripes helps set it all off. BMW says this paint job requires a special process—it’s not a simple sticker job. In fact, the whole production process for the 3.0 CSL is much longer than a regular M car. BMW will produce just 50 over the next three months, and one car can take as many as 10 days to complete.

Under the skin, the 3.0 CSL uses a slightly modified version of the M4 CSL’s wild 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. Horsepower is up to 553 hp, more than any other six-cylinder BMW in history. Torque is down, however, to 406 lb-ft, the same as the regular M4. It’s likely because the six-speed manual, which is the only transmission choice in the 3.0 CSL, simply isn’t rated beyond that. Yes, you read that right: the 3.0 CSL is manual-only.

All that power heads to the rear wheels via an M sport differential. BMW has also fit standard carbon-ceramic brakes, an M adaptive suspension tweaked for more track use, carbon bucket seats, and carbon trim throughout the cabin. A white shift knob matches the exterior color.