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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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."
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
