50 years of motorsport history means 50 years of BMW M and a model line that has represented top performance for more than five decades: The new BMW 3.0 CSL is a puristic M automobile that is not only impressive in terms of its unique design and CSL-typical race track performance, but also because its production is one-of-a-kind. Largely built by hand, the high-performance vehicle is assembled in a craft workshop set up specifically for this purpose in Moosthenning, Bavaria, and painted with the legendary M stripe design. The production of this small series is so elaborate that only specialists in the areas of body construction and painting can lend a hand in making this model's valuable components.
It’s true, we are a little bit proud of the high-precision manufacturing process used for the BMW 3.0 CSL
Project manager for the painting of CFRP parts
MANUFACTURED NEXT TO THE BMW M4 GT4.
The similarities between the BMW 3.0 CSL and a real racing car can be seen everywhere, including the assembly area. The car goes from the special body factory in Dingolfing, Bavaria to the manufacturing plant in Moosthenning for final assembly. This puts the production of the 3.0 CSL in the immediate vicinity of the new BMW M4 GT4, where it is assembled by 30 experts who all specialize in the unique parts that make up this exclusive special model. Just the modification of the BMW M4 body alone – which is necessary for attaching the specific carbon components – requires 16 hours of work. During this process, the distinctive wheel arches are widened using special beading and welding processes and prepared for assembly. Christian Waldherr, Head of Technology in special body and special component construction, is particularly proud of the many solutions that have been specially developed for this car. For example, the LED rear lights of the BMW 3.0 CSL are integrated into the body in such a way that they can be easily installed and removed despite the wide fenders and the aerodynamic elements built around the rear.
A special feature of the BMW 3.0 CSL's body is the extra wide rear side panel including wing, that is typical of this model which is built around the rear of the vehicle
Head of Technology in special body and special component construction
A PAINT JOB IN 134 STEPS.
A PAINT JOB IN 134 STEPS.
A unique selling point of the BMW 3.0 CSL, apart from its body, is its incredibly elaborate paint finish. Around 20 exterior components are finished by paint specialists at the Landshut paint shop. Up to eight individual coats of paint are required to create the unmistakable color on the model. The layers are built up using the base color – Alpine white uni, but it’s the trademark M stripes in blue, dark blue and red that demand this elaborate process. They are projected onto each component by laser projector to ensure that they match perfectly. The meticulous process of masking the lines between different-coloured surfaces is carried out manually by specially trained experts following the laser projections. Up to eight customized contour films are required per component.
In between the individual painting stages, each component must be carefully polished. This takes time: A total of 134 individual steps are required to apply the graphics – for each vehicle. It takes a week for all the elements to go through the entire process. In addition, there is the painting work on the alpine white body shell, which takes place in parallel. It’s only by following the process, that it becomes clear why the painting requires such high precision as the assembly in the craft workshop in Moosthenning can only take place after the painting is done and everything has to fit 100%. "If there is just a small error somewhere on a component – then you have to start all over again. The finish and the transitions have to be perfect," says product and production specialist Marco Klante.
A total of eight layers of paint are applied to the carbon. It takes a week of manual work to finish a component
Project manager for the painting of CFRP parts
SPECIAL PROCESS FOR EXPOSED CARBON.
SPECIAL PROCESS FOR EXPOSED CARBON.
In addition to the M stripes, it is also up to the paint professionals to position the "M Power" lettering on the rear spoiler and the "50" on the roof. Unlike the stripes, however, the painters do not expose any layers of paint apart from the carbon that is visible on the body panels. The graphics are left until after the clearcoat treatment has been applied, after which everything is polished. This results in slight indentations in the surface – which means that the high-tech material of the components can be felt. "This is also intentional. You can tell that it's an elaborate paint job and not a foil finish or something similar," says Christian Koch.
The very last step in the assembly of the BMW 3.0 CSL? The application of the emblem on the hood, of course!
Head of Special Vehicle Assembly
MORE THAN 100 SPECIALISTS IN ACTION.
MORE THAN 100 SPECIALISTS IN ACTION.
Planning, logistics, body construction, painting and final assembly: the hand-built BMW 3.0 CSL is an enormously complex project. For each individual vehicle, more than 100 employees are involved in putting the model on its wheels. "It's not just the activities such as bodywork, painting and assembly that require unique processes devised for this model. This is even true when it comes to wheel alignment at the end of production as we have developed our own process just for the BMW 3.0 CSL on the reference wheel alignment stand in order to achieve maximum accuracy," says Franz-Xaver Karl, Head of Special Vehicle Assembly. "For this car, we have really pulled out all the stops."
The assembly process of a single vehicle – without the upstream work steps – extends over a period of just under two weeks. However, it is not completely finished in the workshop. After assembly, the BMW 3.0 CSL goes back to the BMW plant in Dingolfing, where it undergoes extensive and standardized tests on roller or brake test stands for example. Finally, each of the special models undergoes an additional final acceptance process with a specified driving program on the plant's own test track.
All departments worked fantastically well together on the new BMW 3.0 CSL. We pushed the limits of what was possible – and that was really fun.
Head of Technology in special body and special component construction
PRODUCTION IS RUNNING AT FULL SPEED.
The BMW 3.0 CSL is strictly limited. To mark the 50th anniversary of the BMW M brand, exactly 50 models will go on sale as soon as possible. Production is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2023. To achieve this, the team in the workshop is working at full speed. Martina Lutz, quality planner for add-on parts has an eye on the entire process: "Only about a dozen vehicles still need to be built." After that, it's over. What remains is the certainty of being able to call on a large team of specialists who are up to such a special task, as the production of the BMW 3.0 CSL undoubtedly is.
