2003 BMW M3 CSL (E46)

Photo of BMW M3 CSL (E46)

Fastest Lap Times (12)

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TrackTimePosition Faster thanSlower than
Hockenheim Short1:13.552/474Aston Martin DBS McLaren Mercedes SLR 
Vairano Handling Course1:20.48829/130Porsche 997 Carrera S Porsche 997 Carrera 4S 
Oschersleben1:46.6018/121BMW M6 Porsche 996 Turbo 
Sugo1:39.93814/38Subaru Impreza STI Type RA-R Lamborghini Murcielago 
Motovision handling course18.946/52Audi RS4 Cabrio Mitsubishi Evo VII 
Top Gear Track1:28.0 (very wet)82/159Renault Megane R26.R Wiesmann Roadster MF3 SMG 
Anglesey50.87/52Porsche 997 Carrera S Ford GT 
Nordschleife7:5041/228Porsche 997 Carrera S (2008 facelift) Lamborghini Murcielago 
Tsukuba1:06.8872/231Mazda RX-7 Type R BATHURST A Spec Honda NSX Type-S 
Brands Hatch (Indy Circuit)54.754/13Subaru Impreza Type 25 Porsche 996 GT3 RS 
Twin Ring Motegi1:38.286/9Ferrari 360 Modena Porsche 996 GT3 late 
Bedford Autodrome West Circuit (pre 2004)1:19.955/24Subaru Impreza STI Spec C Porsche 996 GT3 late 

BMW M3 CSL (E46) racing rivals

BMW M5 (E60), Audi RS4 (B7), Mercedes SL 55 AMG, Mercedes SLK 55 AMG, Porsche 997 Carrera S,

Other cars by BMW (170)

M5 (E60), M6, 130i, 335i Coupe, M3 (E46), Z4 M Roadster, M5 (E39), Z8, M3 (E30), M3 (E36), Z3 M Coupe, Z4 3.0i, E30 M3 Sport Evolutione, Z4 3.0si Coupe, 320i, 320si, Z3 3.0i, Z3 M Roadster, 120i, 318ti Compact, 325ti Compact, 330i, 528i, ... show more

Associated videos (4)

Motegi Battle 2
Motegi Battle 1
Mazda Roadster Turbo, Honda S2000, BMW M3 CSL, MB SL55 AMG, Mazda RX-8, Lotus Elise
Top Gear & The BMW E46 M3 CSL

Community comments (44)

Georg 3 years ago
the topspeed of the M3CSL is 280km/h (limited) and not 250km/h...

FastestLaps 3 years ago
I guess they limited it to 280 to make people think it can reach a lot more. Actually 280 is very close to the limit. No need to limit like VW limited Veyron's top speed to 405 or something.

Georg 3 years ago
If I remember right sportauto claimed that the M3 CSL could go close to 290km/h (real speed) without limiter.. the engine revs deep into the red at that speed. The Veyron engine output is limited to 1001hp...currently they work on a 1250hp Veyron GT with 270mph(432km/h) topspeed

Heyhuub 3 years ago
Most of my sources say it is limited to 250.

FastestLaps 3 years ago
But I saw an Best Motoring episode where they tested top speed at short oval. They exceeded 250.

Heyhuub 3 years ago
Hmm, maybe only the japanese version is unlimited?

Fra 3 years ago
you can ask BMW to remove the 250 limiter when you buy it if you have a racing license, but apparently they removed it with just a sign on a disclaimer... and the limit is never actually 250, that's also because speedos always tell you you're going faster than you actually are, so it'll climb over 250 before you actually hit that speed

Georg 3 years ago
http://www.track-challenge.com/main.asp track-challenge M3 CSL topspeed 280km/h (data are sportauto supertest)

Georg 3 years ago
Fra sorry that is wrong You can order the M5, M6 with limiter off you have to pay over 3000Euro for that...but you recive a 2day driver training with your own car. You need no race licens. At all slower models you need nothing just order it as option. BTW a 250km/h limited e60 M5 was doing 269km/h on the Döttinger Höhe at the Nordschleife... only the car is called 250km/h limited does not mean it does not go faster... like the JDM undergoing their 280hp limit, the Germans undergo the 250km/h gentelmen agreement.. most of the powerfull M5, RS6, RS4, 55AMG, 63AMG are lot faster as the 250km/h limit. The RS6 plus is a other car with the limiter stock set to 280km/h.. I once drove a RS6 and I reached 285km/h (GPS clocked) till the limiter kicked in...and that was a stock RS6 with limiter..it is well known that Audi and BMW are very tollerant with the limiter setting.

Georg 3 years ago
ops the E60 M5 was the 269km/h doing during sportauto supertest at the Ring speed clockt by a extrem accurat GPS based D2 datarecording system..

Mat 3 years ago
I have a 2003 CSL with limiter in place and it reached an indicated 272Km/h. The speedometer was 6.7% optimistic as tested at 120Km/h that sams day. That makes the limiter about bang on a real 250.

Georg 3 years ago
0-200km/h 16.7s sportauto supertest 8/2003

Georg 3 years ago
sorry that 1:06.88 was Tsukuba not topgear.. :( sorry

Wads 3 years ago
No problem.... Top Gear lap deleted

Anonymous 2 years ago
i live in the u.s.a so we dont get this absolutly fabolous car over her and i was wandering does anybody know the u.s price tag for one of these babys is?

lee 2 years ago
I own a csl. Ive had mine at 275km on a number of times on the m60,then the limited kicks in!:-)very quick

Lee 2 years ago
u Defoe need an international race licence to get the limiter off in the uk!ive taken mine to bmw and asked a number of times!no chance!!me and my father have a csl each!!they still refuse!!

cyberkillM3 2 years ago
you are ale suck the bmw dosent have limit on speed bud on rpm!!! and from that you can know in how good condition is your engine it can even go over 280km/h

Anonymous 2 years ago
i have owned 3 csl in the past 4 years. they are truly amazing. i have a race license and no limiter. the m3 csl is the best production car bmw have ever built. i have had my car gps'd 0-62 time of 4.56 seconds and off the clock top end. this is stock apart from gruppe m exhaust which is amazing. this time im going to try a rogue engineering exhaust and see how it goes.

carl lenard 2 years ago
wow this bmw m3 has takin down that ferrari 360 modena the m3 lapped the twin ring motegi in 1min.40secs thats quicker than a ferrari 360!!!! and the bmw m3 lapped the nurburgring in 7.50!!!!!! thats quicker than a porsche 911 997 carrera s facelift

bob richards 1 year ago
the mighty m3 e46 csl is good enough to take down the king of sports cars the 911 do you think an m3 e46 csl can take down the current 911 997 carrera s.the mighty m3 is superrior to its german rivals such as audis and mercedes-benz.why the m3 e46 csl only wieghs 3047lbs and puts out 355BHP from its big 3.2L r6 engine with that power it has already lapped the hockenium short faster than the aston martin dbs with a lap time of just 1.13.5

Autozine.org 1 year ago
the label csl coupe sports lightwieght was used bye the famous 3.0csl or commonly known as batmobile in 1973 the car boosted a more powerfull straight 6 than the regular 3.0 CS further helped aluminium body pannels and aggresive spoilers it earned an unmatched status in bmws history after 30 years bmw reusesthe name on a with similar philosty m3 csl this car could be most agressivly tuned most driver focused bmw in more than 20 yearsthe conversation was so radical that its price was pushed in to 911 carrera teritory yes this time bmw is really serious to produce a car that could rival porsche to please hard core drivers. IT evan admits 911 gt3 was its benchmark for performance and handalling.

justin 1 year ago
i think that the m3 gtr is still t he greatest car of all time

Adam 1 year ago
the m3 gtr is a race car and while the performance is insane and can beat any expensive super car such as maserati's or jaguar's.it's only because it's a race car that's not road legal you are going to have to pay a ridiculous price if you want your normal m3 e92 to be tuned up to raceing standard's.the road legal m3 is a really good car though if you want an m3 buy the m3 but i am sorry you can not buy the m3 gtr.then again the current e92 generation m3 e92 is really light and fast for a coupe model of a powefull and heavy sedan.Although suppriseingly you will find bmw's are very light car's for car's in their class.and with the m3 e46 (the e46 mean's last generation of m3's)they made an incredable car this is it i really like it we all love it it's called an m3 e46 csl the car is pure track foccussed and it's road legal the m3 e46 csl only wiegh's 3047LBS plus the tire's are for the track as well if you own one the tire's won t work propely in cold or wet weather they evan managed to get 355hp out of an engine size of only 3.2Litre's just evrything about this car is light well exept the price tag the m3 e46 csl is good enough to beat a porsche 911 996 carrera but really bmw was really trying to compete with the porsche 911 996 gt3.the m3 e46 will beat any lexus' hyundai genisis or any big and heavy mercede's-benz.the m3 e46 csl is a really good car it's expensive but evry doller is worth when your paying for this incredable car.

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M3 CSL (E46) technical data

Performance
Max speed 155 miles/h (250 km/h)
0-100 km/h 4.8 seconds
0-160 km/h -
0-200 km/h 16.7 seconds
0-300 km/h -
Quarter mile 12.968 seconds
0-100-0 mph -
Engine
Power 265 kw (355 bhp / 360 ps)
Torque 370 Nm (274 lb-ft)
Displacement 3.2 liters
Engine type R6
Engine location front
General data
Gearbox 6 speed
Drive rear
Mass 1385 kilograms (3047 lbs)
Weight distribution -
Year of introduction 2003
Home country Germany
Calculations
Power to Weight ratio 256.37 hp/tonne
Power per liter 82.74 kw/liter
Fastestlaps.com stats
FL Rank Position - 1207/1206, 0 points
Page views 36608
Car submitted by unknown

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Photo of BMW M3 CSL (E46)
Photo of BMW M3 CSL (E46)

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