Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimjamz
I love the care that's gone into designing this car but I can't help think they've taken a very long two door coupe, removed two seats and left you with a lot of workaround design (not to mention wasted cabin space at the back) to compensate for some flawed underlying design parameters. A M2 CSL or even a M3 CSL would have been such a more obvious application of the CSL brief. That said, if money isn't an objection, why not in a world with a XM.
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Jimjamz
I tend to agree with you to a large degree.
There is no hard and fast rule that a CSL badge should be affixed to a M2/3/4/5/..... As such, they could have chosen any platform really.
Having a F87 M2CS, I can understand your reasoning; the car is simply magical.
Given they did an extremely limited edition G82-based Homage CSL (50 hand-built specimen only), it would have made even more sense to get a 2 or 3 series for the CSL. However, in looking through the crystal ball from BMW's perspective, I see a few problems.
The first problem I see is that the Delta in vehicle mass between the 2, 3, and 4 series is very little. So no matter which way BMW went, the hardcore boyracers would trash-talk the car no matter which platform was used.
The other problem is that the M2 has yet to be released and we know what the result has been with the leaked photos, aesthetically at least. Therefore, it may have been too big a risk to go the 2er way. Also, how much more could they ask for than what people paid for the F87 M2CS? would people pay $120k for a zooped-up 2er?
Third problem, a CS was already planned for the M3 and doing a CSL would seem too much of the same thing - the CS is likely to include the X-Drive so how many people would favour an AWD rocket with 4 doors as opposed to a 2WD version? I'd say the majority.
Given BMW was already planning on developing the Homage based on the M4, it made sense to develop the Homage and the CSL concurrently though slightly divergently in the final packaging.
All of this is just my personal observation but I'm open to discussion. For me, it doesn't matter because I'm neck deep in for a M4CSL and all the positive or negative press about the car isn't going to make a difference.
Personally, I wish the 50th anniversary would have happened at the end of the F-generation and we could have had a F87 M2CSL instead of the CS - that would have been the perfect outcome in a perfect world - though I admit, we do not live in a perfect world.