M3 Nürburgring Driving Experience

Contents. The BMW M3 CSL the 110 Per Cent Car. 3 The M Story. 5 The BMW M GmbH Cars. 16 Specifications. 26

The BMW M3 CSL the 110 Per Cent Car.
BMW M takes up the heritage of the lightweight sports coupé.
The three terms coupé, sports and lightweight, abbreviated as CSL, have a great
heritage: Back in 1938 BMW built the legendary 328 Mille Miglia Coupé with an
aluminium body and in the ?70s the Company built a lightweight sports car based
on the 3.0-litre coupé.
At the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show BMW M took up the theme once again in the
guise of the M3 CSL Concept Car, making the hearts of sports car aficionados
the world over skip a beat. And now, following the overwhelming response to the
concept car, BMW M is presenting an M3 CSL prototype suitable for series
production as the predecessor to a production model launched to appear in
future.
The new M3 CSL is based on the philosophy of intelligent lightweight
technology. This means the optimum combination of materials and components
using the most suitable material in each case for the specific requirements
made of a specific component.
Formula 1 technology in lightweight engineering
and the drive system.
This strategy leads straight to Formula 1 technology featured by the M3 CSL in
some fundamental areas for practical use on the road. One example is the
consistent utilisation of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), the material
in Formula 1. Now introducing this material on the road, BMW M is turning
around the weight spiral in a new, fascinating process of evolution.
In terms of drive technology this is accompanied by the high-speed concept of
the famous M3 straight-six power unit reducing weight to a minimum in the
engine sector. On the modified engine the complete cylinder charge cycle has
been modified and frictional forces further reduced. The Sequential M Gearbox
with Drivelogic (SMG) also based directly on Formula 1 technology and forming
an integral part of the most sporting M3 ensures an ultra-fast gearshift with a
seamless, direct flow of power. So it is fair to say that this lightweight
sports car is designed and built in every respect for a dynamic driving
experience of the purest form.

Lightweight technology was however not a purpose in itself in the development
of the M3 CSL by BMW M. Rather, the absolute weight and mass inertia of a car
around its vertical axis are crucial to the car?s lateral, vertical and
longitudinal dynamics ? that is the way the driver experiences the car?s
dynamic performance on the road. The car?s power-to-weight ratio, that is the
quotient of vehicle weight versus performance, is furthermore crucial to
supreme longitudinal dynamics, that is very fast acceleration. And this brings
us to the 110 per cent formula of BMW M Division Manager Gerhard Richter:
?Succeeding in reducing the power-to-weight ratio by another 10 per cent on the
M3 CSL, we have created the 110 per cent car and have moved up to a new league
of dynamic performance.?
The best place to test all these dynamic criteria quickly and thoroughly is of
course the Northern Circuit of Nürburgring, the most challenging race track in
the world. This is where the best stand out from the good in terms of driving
dynamics, this is where you experience the interaction of all a car?s
components.
Further reduction in weight through specific use
of alternative materials.
Just one look at the BMW M3 CSL reveals the outstanding role of this
lightweight concept: The flaps in the front skirt, roof and rear diffuser are
visibly made of CFRP. Indeed, the entire front skirt as a whole is made of
painted carbon-fibre, as are the door- and side-sills as well as the centre
console.
But it is not always carbon-fibre alone. The load-bearing structure supporting
the asymmetrically split through-loading system, for example, is made
of endless glass-fibre thermoplastics, an innovative material carried over from
aerospace applications. The bucket seats at the front, in turn, made of
glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP), are not only lighter than the standard
seats in the M3, but also offer the occupants even greater support when driving
fast and dynamically. The rear window of the M3 CSL is made of thin glass, the
floor beneath the luggage compartment is a honeycomb sandwich
plate, again a material used preferably in aerospace applications. Even the
base material beneath the floor carpeting is made of weight-optimised foam.
The M3 CSL comes on specially developed 19-inch wheels with new
sports tyres again reflecting the purist concept of the car, while the 18-inch
brake system ensures supreme stopping power.
Taking up a great heritage, BMW M is therefore creating a very special car for
the motorsport enthusiast with a penchant for dynamic driving performance
as the ultimate experience on the road. Starting next year, the BMW M3 CSL will
enter the market in a limited edition.