BMW

Learn more about BMW models, products and services:

SHOW CAR FOR THE STREET.

SHOW CAR FOR THE STREET.

4 min reading time

The BMW 3.0 CSL Story: #2 The design.

An icon reinterpreted: The design of the 3.0 CSL is uncompromising, with quotes from its ancestor and accents of its own.

20 December 2022

As the last highlight of its 50th anniversary year, BMW M is putting a legend back on the street: the BMW 3.0 CSL. Exactly 50 years after its iconic predecessor was presented, BMW M is reanimating a model that will delight not only BMW M fans. The M automobile is more than a worthy successor. The new 3.0 CSL quotes its famous ancestor and brings its impressive uncompromising nature into the here and now, while setting accents of its own, accents that speak a clear language: This M model is the essence of 50 years of racing passion.

"EVERY DESIGNER’S DREAM".

Viktor Bär, Project Lead Exterior Design BMW M, next to the BMW 3.0 CSL he designed.
With the BMW 3.0 CSL, we’ve succeeded in designing a show car for the street.
Viktor Bär

Project Lead Exterior Design BMW M

NEW INTERPRETATION.

NEW MATERIALS, NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

THE LIVERY.

A design sketch shows the BMW 3.0 CSL in profile.

What has always distinguished the 3.0 CSL is not only the impressive design, but also its unique livery. The basic Alpine White paintwork bears stripes in the M colours, applied elaborately by hand. 134 steps have to be performed to put these graphics on the car. This livery has been matched to the geometry of the new 3.0 CSL by Viktor Bär’s design team. Otherwise they have remained faithful to the template: "The historic livery is so strong, so unique – so distinctive that we didn’t to reinvent it."

SO MANY HIGHLIGHTS.

Detail photo of the front of the BMW 3.0 CSL, photographed from above so that you can see the M colours on the front spoiler.
One cool feature of the BMW 3.0 CSL is the removable licence plate holder at the front. For aesthetic reasons, this is located in the air vent at the centre of the front and not near the kidneys. This would limit the air intake for the engine when racing, so the holder and licence plate can be removed in no time per twist lock. A feature which is unique to the BMW 3.0 CSL.
Viktor Bär

Project Lead Exterior Design BMW M

A WEALTH OF DETAIL.

THE 3.0 CSL

THE 3.0 CSL

The ultimate expression of M Legacy

Experience more

Our tool for managing your consent to our use of cookies is temporarily offline.
For this reason, some functions that require your consent to the use of cookies may not be available.