Really Cool Article "This is What it is Like to drive the 3.0 CSL Batmobile"

[Ajay]

2016 article but, I had never seen it.

Thought I would share it here.

This Is What It’s Like To Drive The BMW 3.0 CSL “Batmobile”

Hint: it’s a shockingly controlled affair

petrolicious.com

 

[HB Chris]

“The box flares on the side are gorgeous, the stance is perfect, and the wheels are impeccable.”

Box flares? What car was he looking at?

 

[craterface]

He doesn't really talk too much about the actual drive. A CSL definitely feels faster than a standard coupe in a straight line (although a 3.5 transplant would pretty much negate that). The big difference is the manual steering box, which makes the car almost as lively as a contemporary 911, although as the author notes, an e9 is a huge, spacious car relative to almost all its direct competitors (911, E type, SL) of the period.

 

[Ohmess]

The owner of this car was exceedingly generous. Not only did he let some writer drive his car, he let the writer drive his car in the rain!!

Thanks for posting this.

 

[Keshav]

This is the ‘famous‘ show car 2275xxx Csl which belongs to BMW classic since many a years (even the number plate holder says that). I recall, it has the 10 hole rims, of course all items that can be easily fixed/ swapped. This and the Colorado carb Csl is what they send to the oldtimer meets.

 

[Michael Kaye]

He doesn't really talk too much about the actual drive. A CSL definitely feels faster than a standard coupe in a straight line (although a 3.5 transplant would pretty much negate that). The big difference is the manual steering box, which makes the car almost as lively as a contemporary 911, although as the author notes, an e9 is a huge, spacious car relative to almost all its direct competitors (911, E type, SL) of the period.

I thought the same - he barely mentions the actual driving!

 

[Markos]

I’ve examined the heck out of the colorado car. Like most of the BMW classic cars, there are a number of things that are a little off. Simple example, the colorado car has a Petri. Still beautiful and list worthy. It has been hard for me to find a baseline carb CSL to study because they all have little deviations from 50 years of maintenance. I’m sure the same can be said for the Bats.

There is a video on youtube that goes over the colorado stating that it was simply cleaned up and not “over restored”. I don’t believe that this is totally accurate.

Also noteworthy, the car says BMW classic (in grey) near the CSL logo on the side stripe. They photoshop it out of *most of the pics. You can see the sticker on the batmobile because they aren’t BMW Classic pics...

 

[Keshav]

There is a video on youtube that goes over the colorado stating that it was simply cleaned up and not “over restored”. I don’t believe that this is totally accurate

im sure you noticed the 2 paint versions (valance) of the same car....

 

[Markos]

im sure you noticed the 2 paint versions (valance) of the same car....

Funny I didn’t even notice! Apologies for
hijacking this thread, but I have to keep things straight in my head and on paper.

FWIW, I am conflating two colorado carb CSL’s. The video I was referring to is the classic heroes CSL, VIN 2211723. That car also has a Petri and some work done.

The 408H colorado car from BMW classic (2212278) was restored, and was originally Golf.

Both are inspirations for me so a thread about driving a batmobile somehow turned into me rambling about colorado carb CSL’s...

 

[Keshav]

, and was originally Golf.

Yes sir, that is correct! For BMW Classic to have a non original color carb Csl as one of their show cars......kind of hard to fathom!

 

[Marco 54]

im sure you noticed the 2 paint versions (valance) of the same car....

View attachment 84771View attachment 84772

Only you would have spotted this, Keshav.

 

[Keshav]

Only you would have spotted this, Keshav.

Thank you, although it’s hard to beat @Markos observation skills! Why BMW Classic would decide to paint it Colorado and not leave the original color Golf is a reflection of their (lack of) devotion to classic cars and originality.