Quote:
Originally Posted by kepler
Like the missing backseats, this would also be a dealbreaker for me. Exactly why I never had any interest in the e46 M3 CSL. SMG transmission in that car completely ruined it and to this day I can't figure out why it is revered as a purist or driver's car.
|
Not to start a big old argument on here...
...but have you ever driven an actual genuine E46 M3 CSL?
Fair enough if you have and you still feel that way. Everyone is of course entitled to their opinion. It's just hard to disagree with so many people who (arguably) know what they are talking about and rate that car as a high point for driver involvement, in spite of the SMG gearbox.
I'm aware that there are several people in the states who basically built one by buying parts and fitting them to a standard E46 M3 to make a replica/tribute version.
I owned my CSL here in the UK for 4 wonderful years, and I was lucky enough that during that time it doubled in value while I still managed to add 20k miles to it. I was able to do a pretty much straight swap for my M2 with only a few months and 1k miles on it (in early 2017) and have now put a further 15k miles on the M2 (which is DCT).
As much as I do enjoy a manual car, when driving these kind of cars on the right kind of days I wouldn't let the gearbox be a thing that stopped me owning them. The CSL, while a little clunky in start stop traffic, was absolutely sublime in any other situation. Country road, track day, drifting event and motorway miles on European road trips. It did all of them brilliantly and I never missed the third pedal. The noise from the airbox was enough to make you forget, let alone the feel through that steering wheel. You constantly felt 'engaged' with the car, even during relatively low speed driving.
I still do all of the same trips in the M2 now and it's 99% as good as the csl was at the exciting stuff, and then better at the boring stuff as it's more modern.
Personally, I've had a deposit down on an M2 CSL since mid 2016, before I even got my M2. I can only hope that they manage to find a way to replicate the recipe from the E46 CSL with understated looks, practicality, and then the type of involvement that you can only get from a lightweight, front engined, rear wheel drive configuration. But it will have to be pretty special to get me out of my OG M2 which is already a very good and capable car.
Anyway...I appear to have rambled on a bit...sorry if this has come across as a bit of a rant/preach...I suppose it's the anticipation of news from
Artemis about the forthcoming car and the potential for a true CSL return in future.