BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage concept teased ~ station of gear

BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage concept teaser image

BMW will unveil a wild tribute to the ‘Batmobile’ 3.0 CSL from the 70s at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este later this month

2015-05-12 23:00

Performance BMWs don’t come any more iconic than the 3.0 CSL from the 70s, affectionately known as the Batmobile. With its steroidal styling, lively handling and screaming six-cylinder engine it set the template for every BMW M car that has appeared since and now, over forty years later, BMW is paying it the ultimate compliment.

Shown here, partly at least, in an official artist’s impression is the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage – a concept car bound for the banks of Lake Como and the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on May 22. Likely to be based around the new M4 Coupe, the concept is described by BMW as “a nod to the engineering achievement exemplified by the BMW 3.0 CSL in its lightweight design and performance.”

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Performance details are yet to be released, but like its spiritual predecessor that swapped steel for aluminium and glass for Perspex in pursuit of a lighter kerbweight, the Hommage will use “cutting edge materials”, including lashings of carbon-fibre for the lower sections of the bodywork.

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Clearly visible in the image is a massively widened rear track and, like the original, a huge rear wing with the LED taillights swirling around its outer edge. The BMW badge on the C-pillar is another distinctive cue taken from the Batmobile.

There are no pictures of the interior just yet, but BMW says “all the elements in the cabin are absolutely essential,” with a “driving related function”. Expect a stripped out passenger compartment with bucket seats and the radio and sat-nav thrown out.

There’s no indication at this stage whether BMW is serious about putting the 3.0 CSL Hommage into production, but we suspect it will remain a design study for the foreseeable future. What it does show, though, is that BMW is plotting a higher performance version of the M4, possibly using water-cooled turbochargers as showcased on the M4 Moto GP safety car we drove last month. Whether it will be badged M4 GTS or M4 CSL remains to be seen.

Would you like to see a modern incarnation of the 3.0 CSL go into production? Let us know in the comments section below...

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Jack Rix

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