BMW 3.0 CSL

About the BMW 3.0 CSL

Introduced in May 1972,the 3.0CSL was a homologation special built to make the car eligible for racing in the European Touring Car Championship. The "L" in the designation meant leicht (light), unlike in other BMW designations, where it meant lang (long). The lightness was achieved by using thinner steel to build the unit body, deleting the trim and soundproofing,using aluminium alloy doors, bonnets, and boot lids, and using Perspex side windows.The five hundred 3.0CSLs exported to the United Kingdom were not quite as light as the others, as the importer had insisted on retaining the soundproofing, electric windows, and stock E9 bumpers on these cars.