BMW M3 CSL ACCELERATES THE HEART
BMW Motorsport has accelerated the hearts of enthusiasts around the world with the unveiling a lightweight concept car version of the BMW M3 coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The BMW M3 CSL Concept Car is a pared to the essentials M3 Coupe which uses Formula 1 materials to pare 200kg off the 1495kg of the production M3. This results is a dramatic improvement in the car's power-to-weight ratio ratio, which plummets from 4.36 kg/HP to less than 3.5 kg/HP and produces even more stunning performance.
Taking its 'CSL' nameplate from the legendary lightweight racing BMW 3.0 CSL coupes of the 1970s, the M3 CSL has already earned its initials by lapping the north circuit of the Nürburgring in under eight minutes & around 30 seconds quicker than its production counterpart!
This phenomenal performance is the outcome of a concept based on an ÎintelligentÌ lightweight engineering concept drawn from BMW's Formula 1 experience. For example carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, which is a common material in Formula 1 racing, is widely used in the M3 CSL. The front air dam, exterior mirror housing, doors, boot lid and the roof are made of carbon-fibre, while a solid sandwich panel replaces the bulkhead between the passenger and luggage compartments.
Carbon-fibre is not the only alternative material used in the M3 CSL in the interest of ultimate performance. The body shell was pressed out of high-strength steel panels, the rear window is made of extra-thin glass and the floorpan is in sandwich structure. The floor panel in the luggage compartment is a honeycomb sandwich plate normally limited to aerospace applications and the substrate beneath the instrument panel is made of magnesium. Even the bottom layer beneath the carpet on the floor comes in weight-optimised foam.
The modified 3246cc straight six M3 engine features a streamlined cylinder charge process with friction reduced to a minimum, boosting output from 252kW to more than 260kW.
To maximise performance, the M3 CSL is equipped with the same BMW's Sequential M Gearbox with Drivelogic (SMG) fitted to the production M3 coupe as standard equipment.
Finally, the M3 CSL Concept Car rests on 19-inch wheels incorporating 18-inch lightweight brakes for supreme stopping power. Dream! |
