BMW M3 CSL (E46, 2003-2004) review – Munich's answer to the Porsche 911 GT3

The launch of a lightweight BMW M3 back in 2003 - the now iconic and appreciating CSL - was big news. When the E46 M3 CSL hit the streets, there were gasps. Here was a hardcore statement of intent. Here was a car designed to rescue the M3’s track-evolved credibility following the disappointingly tubby E36 years.

Just 1383 CSLs were made for the world, with 422 right-hand-drive examples coming to the UK, split between 316 silver cars and 106 black cars. Lighter, more focused, more hardcore, we've adored the E46 M3 CSL in spite of its flaws during our numerous encounters with it over the years. It surely set the tone for the following generations of hardcore track-focused BMW M cars and is now the definitive Bavarian modern classic.

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

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• S54 engine tweaked to 355bhp and 273lb ft
• SMG automated manual ‘box the only option
• 110kg lighter than the standard E46 M3

The regular M3’s 3.2-litre S54 straight-six developed 338bhp at 7900rpm. For the CSL the motor was enhanced, with a carbonfibre airbox, larger diameter inlet manifolds and reprofiled camshafts. The result was 355bhp and 273lb ft  – far from a dramatic uplift but one felt more keenly thanks to the CSL’s 110kg weight loss.

The drop in mass was contributed to by a carbonfibre roof and rear diffuser, aluminium doors, lightweight carbon interior trim, bucket seats and a plastic bootlid. The boot floor was thinner, as was the sound deadening, glass and material used for the exhaust. Even the radio and air conditioning were not standard-fit in the name of cutting weight. 

The lightweight 19-inch alloys meanwhile could optionally be shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres infamous for making the M3 CSL notably spikey in the cold and wet – to the point that customers who opted for them had to sign a disclaimer acknowledging as much. Needless to say, modern Michelin rubber makes a more trustworthy car of any M3 CSL to which it’s fitted.

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While it’s still from an era where BMW had yet to stop under-braking its M cars, the CSL’s real Achilles heel was its transmission. The single-clutch SMG automated manual was the only option, the six-speed manual of the standard E46 excluded for the hardcore special.

This was the era of paddle-operated transmissions growing in popularity but not yet dominating, being positioned first and foremost as the lap time-focused option. The CSL was the closest thing to a proper BMW track car - a rebuttal to the GT3 RS from M Division - just as the genre of lightened, track-focused, race track refugee road car really started getting traction.

The SMG ‘box doesn’t get in the way of enjoying what has made the CSL the icon that it is – the induction sound. The outrageously in-yer-face fist of a carbonfibre airbox, with its trumpet-contoured interior, acted a little like a quality hi-fi amp, bringing extra definition and clarity to the deliciously angry motor. Arguably, no six-cylinder engine from Munich has ever raised more neck hairs than the CSL’s.

Driving the BMW M3 CSL

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• Razor-sharp, raucous engine dominates
• Fundamental balance is sweet
• The gearbox and brakes let it down

At its launch the E46 M3 CSL wasn't universally acclaimed. It was £20,000 more expensive than the standard E46 M3 but only nominally more powerful, featured temperamental tyres, sub-par brakes and was somewhat hobbled by its transmission. Over the years though, the CSL's charms have only intensified – particularly those of its astonishing engine that was a high watermark of the 2000s golden era for natural aspiration.

‘It seems hard to believe just how right the CSL still feels. The automated single-clutch gearbox is an annoyance at anything other than maximum attack and high revs, but the steering’s weight and rate of response are both spot-on, while the firm suspension feels perfectly judged, making the car alert and adjustable as soon as you turn into a corner.

‘The naturally aspirated, 3.2-litre, 355bhp straight-six sounds utterly glorious too, emitting that complex, almost metallic timbre that makes you feel like you’ve got half a V12 in front of you. And it’s surprisingly loud, even before the stone walls close in and bounce the sound back through the open windows.

‘As soon as you turn in the front feels suitably loaded and you know that the rear will break free easily when you get on the throttle. I remember that the Michelin Pilot Sport Cups came in for criticism when the car was new and I can see why, because they’re not particularly progressive. 

‘However, the fundamental balance of the E46 is so good that the catch feels completely natural once you’re over the limit and steering into the slide. I’m convinced that if you launched it today exactly as it is – same power, torque, sound, grip and weight – but with more modern tyres and a dual-clutch ’box, the CSL would be a massive hit.’ – Henry Catchpole, evo contributing editor.

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‘The noise of a hard-worked CSL is something that resonates in your brain for days afterwards. There truly is nothing quite like it this side of a McLaren F1, and consequently it defines the CSL experience. All that work on the 3.2-litre straight-six’s respiratory system makes it super-keen, with tremendous punch and an intoxicating reach through each of the six forward gears.

‘Unfortunately it’s the transmission – the paddleshift-operated SMG II system (there was no other option) – that dates the CSL, for it lacks the instantaneous shift speeds of the DSGs and trick automatics that followed. The paddles themselves don’t help, for they have an indistinct feel that makes it hard to gain a sense of connection to the process of changing gear. It can feel pretty brutal in the faster shift modes, and while you can finesse the shifts by momentarily feathering the throttle, there’s a nagging sense that hard driving takes its toll on the drivetrain.

‘Chassis-wise the CSL is as sharp as a tack. You can sense the weight savings in the way it changes direction, and also in the way you can carry speed through a corner. Disable stability control and the car truly comes alive, and while you’ll need to be quick and confident with your inputs to get the best from it, there’s no doubt that when you’re on top of your game a well-sorted CSL possesses an E30-like ability to find a sweet spot, even though the manner in which it does so is far more extreme. Invigorating isn’t the word.’ – Richard Meaden, evo editor-at-large.

Driver’s note

‘There’s a real edge to the handsome CSL. It brims with character and its six is properly potent too, with a thrilling top end. It’s a car I appreciate more now than then, and as the saying goes, quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. The CSL is a thoroughly engineered and focused M-car, an M3 with all the fat taken out. If you can come to terms with the SMG gearbox and put up with the rumbly brakes, it’s damn near irresistible.’ – John Barker, evo editor-at-large.

BMW M3 CSL values, rivals and buying checkpoints

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The M3 CSL’s icon status and rarity have afforded it sturdy values in the used market. In the modern-classic BMW world, it’s the defaqto blue chip stock. Values have been relatively stagnant for the last couple of years, though the leggier cars that used to be in the £60,000 range are more like £80,000 today, while the very nicest, most under-driven examples sell for well over £120,000. 

All of a sudden the £20,000 extra the M3 CSL cost compared to a standard E46 doesn’t seem so silly… Nevertheless, a really nice 996 or 997 Porsche 911 GT3 for M3 CSL money would be difficult to say not to. You might also consider a Mercedes CLK 63 AMG Black Series for a more thuggish hardcore alternative toward the higher end of the CSL price spectrum.

What to look out for? All E46s are susceptible to rust which is an odd thing to say of such a special car worth so much now. Likewise you’ll want to see good service history and preferably, evidence of remedial work. Though not quite as sensitive as the V8 that succeeded it and better than earlier S54s, these engines can suffer rod bearing wear. Likewise evidence of a repaired or replaced VANOS pump (that powers the S54’s variable valve timing system) is a good thing to see too.

The SMG gearboxes are single-clutch and therefore the clutch itself is a wear item. Evidence of a recent replacement, or a price that reflects the work needed in its immediate future, is preferable. So maligned is the box, specialist Everything M3s now offers a manual conversion that doesn’t seem to affect the CSL’s steep values. It’d be job one, for us. Look closely for crash damage too. Even though CSLs on Pilot Sport Cups were sold with a disclaimer, that doesn’t mean all CSL drivers heeded the advice within…

Specs