[Jason]

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BMW CEO Reveals CSL Models Will Top M Cars Lineup

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In a conversation with Road & Track, BMW CEO Frank Van Meel has revealed that the CSL models are coming for future M cars! The long-hallowed CSL badge has thus far only adorned two of the most revered BMW models in history -- the 3.0 CSL and E46 M3.

Going forward, the CSL moniker will replace the current GTS level as the most hardcore M model. This will leave an M model hierarchy starting from the base model --> Competition Package --> CS --> CSL.

"CSL will be the top-of-the-line track tool, made on the track for the track, just with a number plate," Van Meel said. With a CSL, you can expect cup tires, coilover suspension, a roll cage, water injection, and a fire extinguisher. Van Meel says that the CS on the other hand is "also a track tool, but with four seats," and more emphasis on comfort.

Van Meel hasn't yet announced what future M cars will get the CSL designation, but he did confirm that we'll never see an X5 M CSL. However, he is open to 4-door M cars with CSL branding, even if they aren't coupes. No doubt this means an M3 CSL is somewhere on the horizon.

This is exciting news indeed for enthusiasts of BMW history, and we hope that future CSL models live up to the great legacy of the badge!

Source: Road & Track

[Gatte]

Did he mean future generation of M cars or current M cars as well. If it is future M cars, I guess we will not be seeing the M2 CSL after all.

It does make sense to make a CSL version of the M2. It almost looks like BMW intentionally did not use extensive carbon fiber on the base car so they could accommodate a CSL in the model line up.

[Benef1cient]

So the guys from 2ertalk.de forum were right.
Competition Package/CS comes Q1 2018 and then a year later the CSL in limited numbers.
Wonder if they stay with N55 and crank it up to 400 HP in the Competition/CS and put S55 with water injection in the CSL only, that would make the most sense product wise and make the CSL stand out from the vanilla/CS version.

[Arcanum-UK]

Dear BMW,

We regret to inform you that, henceforth, you will no longer be considered a German car company. Your inability to maintain consistency in your performance model terminology, combined with some dubious product decisions on recent M cars, indicates that you must have been taken over by a management team devoid of logic and with no grasp of heritage. Probably a JLR executive. Or someone from Peugeot.

Customers buying a GT2, GT3, GT3 RS or GT4 from Porsche know what they are getting. Same for Audi with their S/RS brands and VW with GTI/R. Even AMG makes sense (though no one understands the Mercedes numbering scheme).

Yet you, BMW, can't decide if you want a competition pack, CS, CSL or GTS. All of which are on top of your standard M cars. Which are a model tier above your M-Performance cars. Who is running your marketing department?

However, all is not lost and you can redeem yourself. If you can prove to us with your upcoming M2 CS/Competition that your heritage matters then a reprieve is possible. Nothing less than a carbon roof, S58, 430BHP, manual or DCT option and 40KG weight reduction will suffice. M Mirrors optional as we don't expect you to get everything right (and those are least important).

Sincerely,

The other German car companies.

[chmura]

So looks like the M2 that is coming out in the beginning of 2018 is the M2 Competition not CS. CS will probably come out end of 2018 beginning 2019 as a 2019 MY.

I doubt there will be time to produce an M2 CSL this generation.

I agree with the statement above though. BMW has the nomenclature all confusing and not consistent.

[SimNugget]

I hope there is time for this generation, next gen M2 will probably be 4 wheel drive as the platform is front wheel drive for the next 1 & 2 Series.

S

[medphysdave]

I'm just glad they have come out with what will be what. 2 seats CSL, 4 seats CS

Looks like they need to distance themselves from the GTS disaster

[Mavus]

gotta change when Camaro is kicking ass

[Gatte]

Originally Posted by Arcanum-UK

Dear BMW,

We regret to inform you that, henceforth, you will no longer be considered a German car company. Your inability to maintain consistency in your performance model terminology, combined with some dubious product decisions on recent M cars, indicates that you must have been taken over by a management team devoid of logic and with no grasp of heritage. Probably a JLR executive. Or someone from Peugeot.

Customers buying a GT2, GT3, GT3 RS or GT4 from Porsche know what they are getting. Same for Audi with their S/RS brands and VW with GTI/R. Even AMG makes sense (though no one understands the Mercedes numbering scheme).

Yet you, BMW, can't decide if you want a competition pack, CS, CSL or GTS. All of which are on top of your standard M cars. Which are a model tier above your M-Performance cars. Who is running your marketing department?

However, all is not lost and you can redeem yourself. If you can prove to us with your upcoming M2 CS/Competition that your heritage matters then a reprieve is possible. Nothing less than a carbon roof, S58, 430BHP, manual or DCT option and 40KG weight reduction will suffice. M Mirrors optional as we don't expect you to get everything right (and those are least important).

Sincerely,

The other German car companies.

The last 2 generations of the Cayman had the following models:
Cayman
Cayman S
Cayman R
Cayman RS (Rumored to have been testing around the Nurburgring)
Cayman GTS
Cayman GT4
The next generation might add the Cayman GT4 RS to the above as well.

All Frank V Meel is stating here is that the CSL models will replace the GTS models starting from the next generation. This makes sense since the next generation with the CF components should be lightweight.

I understand that it would be a little confusing for a non car person to make sense of all the model variations that BMW makes. But a non car person would mostly not care about how a CSL is different from a GTS or even how a base M car will be different from a CS and so on. I would prefer the non car person to not get the CSL/GTS models and leave those to people who understand and appreciate the differences between them. The M2 model line in the future would mostly look as follows:
BMW M2
BMW M2 CS
BMW M2 CSL/GTS

*The Performance Edition was a US offering.
**The ZCP/Competition package is an add on to the base car and is not a model line on it's own.

It still looks pretty simple.

[medphysdave]

Would love it if the CS was the CSL, but with creature comforts, no water injection, and minus some aero. Same lightweight bits, tires, suspension, brakes. Daddy needs a heated steering wheel to get to work on a cold morning

I sure hope the CS isn't the rumored 2019 model. Skip the comp pack, and just do CS and CSL.

[No Boost]

3200 lb M2 CSL will work for me in a couple of years. Should I hold my breath?

[SW19]

Originally Posted by Benef1cient

So the guys from 2ertalk.de forum were right.
Competition Package/CS comes Q1 2018 and then a year later the CSL in limited numbers.
Wonder if they stay with N55 and crank it up to 400 HP in the Competition/CS and put S55 with water injection in the CSL only, that would make the most sense product wise and make the CSL stand out from the vanilla/CS version.

Ynguldyn already confirmed that the M2 CS is getting the S55 engine and will start production in 2018 as a MY19 production year car.BMW will probably just increase the power output of the S55 if there is going to be an M2 CSL.

[ryem3]

If there is a CSL/GTS hard to say I would use my slot for it. I've seen at least one m4gts brand new for the taking at 10% off sticker. And it seems still no buyers. You won't find any gt4s on dealer lots.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Arcanum-UK

Dear BMW,
[...] Yet you, BMW, can't decide if you want a competition pack, CS, CSL or GTS.

"OK, then let's release the M2 CRT !"

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Nantucket

Ynguldyn already confirmed that the M2 CS is getting the S55 engine and will start production in 2018 as a MY19 production year car.BMW will probably just increase the power output of the S55 if there is going to be an M2 CSL.

Maybe we got to read the moniker "GTS" as "CSL" in the April 2017 comment below ?

Originally Posted by Artemis

APRIL 2017: some interesting info surfaced in the M2 section of the German forum '2erTalk' (sources: here, here and here):

• January 2018: M2 CS ordering process starts
• March 2018: M2 CS goes into production | S55 engine | 410 hp | no limited edition
• March 2019: M2 GTS goes into production | S55 engine | 450 hp | limited edition/production (the '999' figure has been heard, but could change)

Time will tell if the above information is accurate. Interesting, to say the least. First time that I read that the M2 GTS is definitely scheduled. I thought it was just some pipe dream. But actually, this could make sense if you consider BMW M special models history: a limited edition M2 GTS as the final curtain call for the first-generation M2 (end of production: 2020).

And Scott26 mentioned last July that an M4 variant was/is planned. Must be the M4 CSL then.

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

To date I have heard nothing about the M2 GTS.
The M2 CS is coming but as I stated that the M4 CS has just been launched so they want to give it breathing space, same for the M2 LCI.
There is another M4 planned to further emulate the Porsche 911 series.
This will be towards the end of production.

[SeanWRT]

What's the point of being a 4 door when you have cage?

[Gatte]

Originally Posted by SeanWRT

What's the point of being a 4 door when you have cage?

You can admire the complete roll cage from the side.

[stefan]

Originally Posted by Arcanum-UK

Dear BMW,

We regret to inform you that, henceforth, you will no longer be considered a German car company. Your inability to maintain consistency in your performance model terminology, combined with some dubious product decisions on recent M cars, indicates that you must have been taken over by a management team devoid of logic and with no grasp of heritage. Probably a JLR executive. Or someone from Peugeot.

Customers buying a GT2, GT3, GT3 RS or GT4 from Porsche know what they are getting. Same for Audi with their S/RS brands and VW with GTI/R. Even AMG makes sense (though no one understands the Mercedes numbering scheme).

Yet you, BMW, can't decide if you want a competition pack, CS, CSL or GTS. All of which are on top of your standard M cars. Which are a model tier above your M-Performance cars. Who is running your marketing department?

However, all is not lost and you can redeem yourself. If you can prove to us with your upcoming M2 CS/Competition that your heritage matters then a reprieve is possible. Nothing less than a carbon roof, S58, 430BHP, manual or DCT option and 40KG weight reduction will suffice. M Mirrors optional as we don't expect you to get everything right (and those are least important).

Sincerely,

The other German car companies.

I think it's like.. BMW M of old had very high standards. Calling a model "CSL" meant something.So for a very long time, no new models were worthy of the designation. Engineers probably wanted to maintain integrity of the namesake. Now I feel that has gone out the window with our M SUVs, turbocharged engines, AWD M cars, automatic transmissions, etc. Why not slap the badge on everything. It's already bad enough we have M240i M performance or whatever.

[Hasan Shaikh]

So the CSL will be the new name for the GTS versions?

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Hasan Shaikh

So the CSL will be the new name for the GTS versions?

No, CSL will be CSL.

It is (or at least was) a specific concept. "L" stands for "Leichtbau" (Leightweight construction). So a CSL worth its salt will be an M car with a relevant weight reduction.

See this post for some very early signs of rebooted CSL life: http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...5#post19427255

But I suppose that your question was to know whether a possible further M2 variant, apart from the M2 CS, will be be an "M2 CSL" rather than an "M2 GTS". Well, it looks like this will be the case.

[Grey Dove]

Originally Posted by Artemis

No, CSL will be CSL.

But I suppose that your question was to know whether a possible further M2 variant, apart from the M2 CS, will be be an "M2 CSL" rather than an "M2 GTS". Well, it looks like this will be the case.

If so, this would make the M2 CSL the first successor to the e46 M3 CSL no?.

[bogeyman]

Looking good