Is a CS worth considering?

[Jonny F]

Having looked long and hard for a good csl without success, I am forced to consider the unthinkable!!

Is an M3 CS such a bad idea? Not all the CSL bits but a bit more comfort and a few more luxuries and they're not all completely sh*gged!!

I know I should never have sold my first CSL but I did and now i want it back!!!

Help??

[Billy83]

None of the examples in the classifieds good enough? Just had a look and some of them look in pretty fine fettle.
Can't say too much about the CS as i havent driven one but i have to say i've been tempted. Like you said they're a little more comfortable with better seats etc (for the road) but the main reason is that you can get one with a manual gearbox. CSL with manual gearbox is my dream car and the CS comes very close I've heard.
Tough decision but just think you won't get that induction roar...

[DAVE-W]

Wouldn't gruppe m induction add a similar roar to that of the csl?

Dave

[Ayde]

Not really, I actually had a Gruppe M on my E46 M3 but the induction roar came nowhere close to that of the CSL.

[skh]

Jonny no consolation but I made same mistake. After looking at numerous CSL's and details on many more found myself very disappointed and looked elsewhere. No interest in other marques within budget so returned to BMW and just bourght S54 Z3M Coupe and got real buzz again. If 'toy' then look at one of these. If need 4 seats etc then keep waiting until the right CSL comes up and wait, and wait....

[Jonny F]

Thanks for that. You are probably right. It just grates when I remember I sold my last CSL over a year ago with 11,000 miles as the second owner for £32,000. Twelve months on, I'd have to pay £5,000 more for the same car. Bummer!! Still, lesson learned!!!

[chrisburns735]

Jonny, im having the same problem. I currently have a 535d sport but after a series of e36 m3s years ago (when they were still top dollar) the hankering is back and I have been looking at both the CSL & CS. Unfortunately as you correctly pointed out the value of the CSL seems to have risen in the past year or so which steered me towards the cs. The only snag is that is it really worth handing over 30k(ish) for what is really not very different from an earlier car with good spec for half the price?

[Jonny F]

Sometimes you've just got to say......What the **ck (heck). Much as I didn't want to accept it, the CS is simply no substitute for the CSL and that is from the lips of a BMW dealer principal!! So, I've bitten the bullet and paid the money for as good a CSL as I think I can find. Do I have any regrets.............None!! There simply is nothing like it out there for the money (IMHO). So go on, Chris, you know you want to!!

[Billy83]

Nice one pal! Nothing like it out there whatseoever!!!

[steve1]

Jonny F said:

Sometimes you've just got to say......What the **ck (heck). Much as I didn't want to accept it, the CS is simply no substitute for the CSL and that is from the lips of a BMW dealer principal!! So, I've bitten the bullet and paid the money for as good a CSL as I think I can find. Do I have any regrets.............None!! There simply is nothing like it out there for the money (IMHO). So go on, Chris, you know you want to!!

Do let us know which one you have fallen for.

Steve.

[Jonny F]

There are a few around with varying sorts of history, so I decided to start with the minimum amount of owners. That way, you have a half decent chance of evaluating how its been driven. I found a black one with one owner, 15,000 miles and all the extras but no after market modifications. A full history with the oil change at 1,100 miles, couple of scratches but nothing nasty. Not presented in perfect condition but no sign of abuse. Thought long and hard but decided "If I don't get this one, am i going to have to settle for a multi owner vehicle for a couple of grand less"? Did the deal, collect it tomorrow, can't wait!! Absolutely no regrets. I think the clean and tidy examples will become fewer and fewer. Number of owners need not be an issue, but with 4 or 5 previous, you just have no idea what the car has been through. Plan to not make the same mistake again. This one, I'm keeping!!

[michael_JCWS]

I would have to say that Jonny F picked a fine example, given that its(was) mine .

Going to be sad to see it go, no doubt after a few months' I'll decide that I've made a mistake

The question is what can I possibly replace it with ???

cheers

Michael

pictures here:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/334648.htm

Edited by michael_JCWS on Wednesday 16th January 18:08

Edited by michael_JCWS on Wednesday 16th January 18:09

Edited by michael_JCWS on Wednesday 16th January 18:13

[W1TAK]

I spoke to the previous owner of my black CSL who had changed his car a few times and was now on a CS, he sold the CSL because it was Black and a pain to keep clean. I asked him what he thought to the CS when he had also owned the CSL and his phrase was 'boring', he regretted selling the CSL and the CS was just no substitute, plus he was selling the CS and was taking a considerable hit on depreciation, if he had kept the CSL he would have lost nothing !!!

[BAZ - fire]

I wanted a CSL when they first came out, but were way out of my price range.
I waited a year or so.
Then came the day that I took one for a test drive - as I expected it was unbelievable !!, although after an hour or so, my back was killing me !

I also relised that I needed it for work and the comute drive.
So I tried a CS - and soon realised that this was the more sensible option.
I bought the one I took for a test drive. It had all of the comforts that the CSL didn't.

I bought it in May 2005 and still have it. It handles well and the larger brakes make a big difference. It's now due it's Inspection 1 service, and am now thinking about doing some minor mods.
So I have joined this web site, hoping that I might get some views and ideas.
If you need more information then I'd be glad to help.

[jibm]

BAZ - fire said:

I wanted a CSL when they first came out, but were way out of my price range.
I waited a year or so.
Then came the day that I took one for a test drive - as I expected it was unbelievable !!, although after an hour or so, my back was killing me !

I also relised that I needed it for work and the comute drive.
So I tried a CS - and soon realised that this was the more sensible option.
I bought the one I took for a test drive. It had all of the comforts that the CSL didn't.

I bought it in May 2005 and still have it. It handles well and the larger brakes make a big difference. It's now due it's Inspection 1 service, and am now thinking about doing some minor mods.
So I have joined this web site, hoping that I might get some views and ideas.
If you need more information then I'd be glad to help.

you might want to join up to www.mtorque.co.uk there is loads of info over there on modding etc..

[dustyjustin]

I would think that if you have not had a CSL then a CS will be fine.( if you havn't had it you wont miss it) I have had 2 M3's one hard top and one soft. Both had a high spec and i thought i could not live with out my gadgets. I have to say my CSL is low spec and yes for the first two weeks my back ached a little. But now i have got to say the CSL is the best car i have had. It is what i think a BMW M3 should be. Every time you drive it you get a grin on your face. Then you open the throtle and i just grin even more. It is just a fab car

[M3desmo]

If anyone is looking for a good straight car with good known history then mine's up for sale.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/350323.htm 

[D.no]

dustyjustin said:

I would think that if you have not had a CSL then a CS will be fine.( if you havn't had it you wont miss it) I have had 2 M3's one hard top and one soft. Both had a high spec and i thought i could not live with out my gadgets. I have to say my CSL is low spec and yes for the first two weeks my back ached a little. But now i have got to say the CSL is the best car i have had. It is what i think a BMW M3 should be. Every time you drive it you get a grin on your face. Then you open the throtle and i just grin even more. It is just a fab car

Absolutely.

My intake flap ceased working last weekend, and I couldn't help thinking that's what a "normal" M3 engine must be like - fantastic if you'd never experinced a CSL with the intake flap opening properly, but a massive dissapointment not having that sublime growl-snarl-bark that I've come to expect. Having got my car back from BMW today after 3 days of fettling it is once again fighting fit, and is nothing short of amazing.

I'm not sure I can live without that sound (or the handling balance), and it's funny how much I miss my car every time it's away being fettled, so I'll be keeping my CSL forever (or until I can afford a 997 GT3). Ok, forever then!

(typo edited)

Edited by D.no on Friday 25th January 18:32