CSL Cover story on the Feb issue of Classic and Sports Car

[corsachili]

Titled "BMW's Dream Machine", the story is a three page synopsis that confirms much of what most of us already know; that the E9, is one of the finest machines ever built by BMW and the CSL in particular is the distilled essence of the model.

The story doesn't shed any new light on the car but the author does mention that they're still under-priced, and that non-Bat City Pack cars in clean condition are going for 50 GBP, roughly $81K.

Derek Bell is quoted as calling the race version "the finest BMW I ever drove".

My own CSL has had a lonely winter as it seems to have rained more days than not in Northern California last Winter. Even a week or so in to Spring we still have rain in the forecast. I've tinkered with a few minor items and am in the middle of refinishing the wood, but other than that she's just sat on a Battery Tender waiting for sun.

I've made it no secret that while I love my precious CSL, I've wanted a Ferrari since I was a childhood, and with the value of the lightweight starting to climb, I have considered selling her in order to fulfill my life long dream. After reading the story in Classic and Sports Car however, I have a feeling I might regret that decision.

I love this statement, also on the cover, just above the action shot of a Polaris City Pack car streaking through the English winter sun, "Why the world's waking up to the gorgeous CSL".

-tj in Los Gatos

 

[shanon]

Yep, itsa a nice article.

I'd approach your dilema like this: Test drive the dream Ferrari (if possible of course) and see if it gives you the same driving satisfaction.

I've wanted a Austin Healey 3000 since learning to drive in my dad's TR6...then I climbed into a couple and I immediately took 'em off my bucket list. And I didn't even have to drive them. A 'Big Healy' is very cramped quarters.

An E9 ****pit can spoil a man...especially if you are of taller stature.

;-)
-shanon

 

[corsachili]

I don't want to offend the good members of this forum with excessive F-car banter, but comparing a "CSL vs Ferrari" discussion with a "TR6 vs. AH3000" discussion is not fair. I've owned a TR6 and driven big Healeys and neither come even close to the ballpark of even the lowliest of Ferraris. And while I love the E9, the CSL variant, with its Scheel seats, is not exactly a paragon of roominess, even with my quite average size (5'10, 175#).

They're all great cars, well, except for the TR6 and Healey = ), but a CSL is only mildly exotic and only due to their relative rarity. Even a mid-60s Alfa Romeo is more performance engineered than an E9. This of course does not mean that the build quality in other areas is on par with the BMW, or that they're more usable daily drivers. They're just different.

-tj in Los Gatos

 

[61porsche]

For those of us who missed the isssue whilst under the hood so to speak, would it be possible to scan and insert pls.?

 

[execmalibu]

TJ in Los Gatos... There aint nothing like a Ferrari!

TJ, Speaking from direct hands on experience... There Aint nothing like a Ferrari!!!

I have owned and raced many of the period (1950s-1970s) Exotic Cars including a 1965 427 Cobra (CSX-3127) Porsches (356 Carreras and 911s), E-Tpye Jags, Mercedes, Healys, Alfas, MGs etc... And I can tell you from experience that nothing has the looks, sounds and overall balance that a Ferrari has!

I loved my 427 Cobra and still hate that I sold it and it was an absolute MONSTER but it aint no Ferrari...

There is absolutely nothing like the sound of a V12 Daytona (365GTB/4) at full song... Well... Except the sound of 2 Daytonas at 7,00RPM!... Been there, Done that!!!:mrgreen:

 

[61porsche]

Hecho en Tejas... ayee!

:-D

 

[blumax]

It ain't a Ferrari but----

Some musings--many years ago some of us referred to our E-9's as the "poor man's Ferrari"--why you ask--when at full song our M-30's began to resemble the F song. Wishful thinking I guess.

The one I have always liked was one of the less exotic--but IMHO--the very desirable daily driver type and once affordable model--the 330 GTC.

In 1984 a long time still car dealer friend here in Orange County offered offered me his Lusso for $35K--should I have taken him up on that?? (;>)

 

[execmalibu]

Blumax... The 330GTC was the Coupe... The 330GTS was the convertible! Life STINKS!

I owned the 330GTS for 15 years! A V12 Ferrari convertible...

I was FORCED to sell the car in 1996 because my wife demanded that I was obligated to feed and educate my two young children...

I insisted that I never agreed to that but she said in the fine print section of our wedding vows were very explicit terms... I dont even remember the " I DO" part? She was smart and invited a lot of people I did not know that will swear that I was there... And she still has a book of photos that she has left on our coffee for almost 30 years table to remind me that she has the evidence against me...

I never understood why the kids could not feed and educate themselves :mrgreen:... Now all I have are educated kids one a Doctor and the other a Lawyer, but NO Ferrari V12 Convertible nor 427 Cobra!!! Life is never fair!

 

[feri]

For those of us who missed the isssue whilst under the hood so to speak, would it be possible to scan and insert pls.?

Hello,

As you might know, magazine articles are copyrighted material so it might be one of the worst ideas to scan and publish online.

On the other hand, check your PM

About the article: Don't expect to much about this CSL article. Even the CSL specification description is bad (only fits for only one serie of the 4 different serie of CSL)

It is another british article. I guess everyone know what is called "british article": the article has lots of infomation about the weather, what the articel writer has eaten for lunch, how what his night with his girlfriend, etc. And about only the 30% of the article contains real info.

The second bad point is the magazine, Classic & SC. It is another "lets make articles for the dumbest people of the world" magazine. Lots of big, full one page photos, lots of "playing with lensflare", to make this article for the IQ bellow 60 people think: "wow, what a great article, what a big pack of nice photos !".

Third bad point. It is begining the story from Adam and Eve. Come on C & SC ! This is the 565463656th CS/CSL article published in the past 30 years in the classic/historic car magazine! Why the hell it is needed to tell the begining of the story again ? Why don't spend more time on research, then you could make a proper CSL article !

Fourth bad point is the car. It is another mixture of RHD and 2nd serie LHD CSLs. Look at the bumpers, interiours, etc.

Fifth bad point. C & SC is another magazine who don't care about showing only 100% original cars in their article. Look at the wheel, it is not a 3.0 CSL wheel (rather an Alpina-Momo)

Sixth bad point. Look at the end of the article. "Thanks to 4 star classic where this CSL is for sale."

Hahaha. This company also got a 3 page article in the latest BMW Car Magazine (page 70-72). And (how suprising !). And their "ever a blind one can spot that this BMW E21 is not 100% original" car was featured in the BMW Buying guide E21 3 series article (page 86-92).

So we had a company, who (i guess) payed huge money the get his name advertised. As most C & SC reader (expect the few people, like us at e9coupe.com) are dumb like the ground, they think "wow this is an original CSL ! Wow wow!". Then they check out BMW CAR : "as C & SC CSL was original one, this E21 also original ! Wow !".

And ladies and gentlemans a new kind of groupd of people born - they think that their over-modified car is original - hey look, even C & SC showed a CSL from 4star classic, and C & SC only shows 100% original cars, right ?"


I don't think we need to support such magazines who help people being more and more dumb.

Let me look the beging of the article.

page 79, column 1: same fluff or filler like in the past 56565464th CSL article.Basic infos, Price info - who cares, anyone can check mobile.de and google.com. ETCC racing success: Stuck, Amon, Peterson, Bell are ok, but what about the success of the 1976-1979 year with the names of the Luigi and the green Alpina CSL drivers (like Quester) ?

And an error. Writer says that Jochen N told CSL to homologate a lighter CS shell. BZZZZZZZ, Wrong ! The CSL tuners around/after the 1970 ETCC (Alpina, Schnitzer) told BMW to decrease the weight on the CS and make CSL (actually Alpina started to work on the CSL end of 1970/begining of 1971).And after the moderate sale success of 1st serie CSL, BMW (B. Lutz) asked Jochen N. and Martin B. in 1972 to join BMW's racing team, and create BWM Motorsport division at June 1972.

This is the point where I stopped reading this article. I am so such from the hordes of "just give me money I write an dumb article about any car" journalist, including this one.


So I think we need to raise the level when we say "nice" about an article. This is not such one. The quality of the whole article so is bad, that my stove would cry, no to use it to start the fire.

 

[Erik]

<Quote> The quality of the whole article so is bad, that my stove would cry, no to use it to start the fire. <Quote>

Your crying stove made me laugh.

Perhaps they could use your help in writing a "good" article with real scholarship?