E30 M3 is a 4 Cylinder James, super bloody cool car though!! E46 is an epic car, the noise is motorsport like!

@MasterChief37

2 ай бұрын

Such an amateur mistake.

@AGZF1983

2 ай бұрын

and yet the e30 m3 won more races then any car. >:)

@8atkinsdean

2 ай бұрын

@@AGZF1983 dominated touring cars!

@user-mv4mn1cy8w

2 ай бұрын

Jajajaj😂😂😂 brother 6

@Dinolemos1

2 ай бұрын

BMW South Africa had 6 cylinder e30 out of this world , also a m1 powered 745i and the first ever m car 530mle… stock models from the showroom

Before anyone else says it… E30 M3 had 4 cylinders. 🤓

@djneils100

2 ай бұрын

how can anyone who calls themselves a car enthusiast not know that?!

@mcximus

2 ай бұрын

Thank you and it's one my favorite car besides the 90's NSX.

@993mike

2 ай бұрын

Yeah, the E30 M3 was pretty much a shortened 4 cylinder version of the BMW’s 6 Cylinder M motor. Any German performance car guy would know that.

@DrDave77

2 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@kurtbarker3303

2 ай бұрын

Blokes a chimp. He needs a better script writer. I’m not a subscriber.

The era of electrification has taught us to appreciate analogue cars even more. Love it!

@993mike

2 ай бұрын

For me the N/A M3’s were the peak before turbos went on everything. I’ve had them all through my current E92 M3, and the sounds and frenzy at high RPM are magic much like a GT3 vs a boosted 911.

I prefer these walk and talks to a heavily produced vid. Keep it up.

@cephasmakuzva

2 ай бұрын

Hey we like a production style video too dont get it twisted. But a video like this thats a chilled walk round is very much welcomed.

£130k for a CSL 😳wow !For what you want to do just look at a RHD version here in the UK for under £100k. If you’re going to drive it and not hide it, then you don’t need a super low mileage example. Then go to “Everything M3” in Banbury for the manual conversion & add AP Racing brakes all round. I have an E46 M3 CS because I couldn’t buy a manual CSL. I have added the CSL parts to make the car I originally wanted👍🏼

@lechprotean

2 ай бұрын

At that price it stops making sense especially if modifications are involved. You could tune a lesser BMW for less money and still get better results maybe even a more lightweight manual car with more power.

@barrywakefield4942

2 ай бұрын

@@lechprotean yes - you’re so right. Like buying a good low owner/low mileage E46 M3 Coupe manual and add the CSL parts to make the same car in all but name.👍🏼

@junkfoodeater

2 ай бұрын

Yeah for driving go for a regular, these CSL's in stock form are super sloppy compared to modern cars so yeah there is a lot you gonna wanna change

@boulderghost4457

2 ай бұрын

You buy an original CSL for the name and collectibility. Swapping out the SMG on an CSL is monumentally stupid and offensive. Don’t get me wrong, mods are great , but just buy a high mileage e46 m3 and rice it out, throw carbon AliExpress trim all over it and start a KZread channel showing how to launch your m3 or how to supercharge your m3….but leave the fn CSLs alone. Just because you can afford to buy one doesn’t mean it’s for you. Philistine.

I'm an absolute E46 nut and I wouldn't deny that a CSL is the ultimate, but the prices are so high now I genuinely wouldn't want to own one even if I had the means. Personally I'd rescue a leggy M3 for £10k and spend £30-40k building my own custom lightweight to rival a csl... But you can actually drive it. You can take 50kg out of a standard M3 just by removing the old sound deadening and replacing it with a lighter modern alternative. You could even have a carbon roof put in if you wanted (I wouldn't bother). They are like Lego, with so many after market performance parts available.

i love how mr james straight up says imma rip out that smg soooo LOLOL what a king move

I have a manual silver grey e46 m3, csl wheels etc, but my friend has a zero option silver grey csl with only 12k on the clock, absolutely unreal car.

Have you considered the M3 CS (E46) that came after the CSL. They are available in manual and rarer

We have a manual CSL for sale. It’s live on Autotrader now

@barrywakefield4942

2 ай бұрын

Looks like an SMG gearbox

E30 M3 6 cylinder? Call yourself a car enthusiast 😂😂😂😂

As James knows “Manual Conversion” is easier than it sounds. Gearbox is same…. Just adding a clutch pedal and master, slight mod to a spring in the gearbox casing and voila!

The appeal of that Box is timeless and sadly most people don’t know how to properly operate a SMG box, they treat it like a double clutch and that’s the problem. Treat it like a manual with a bit of lift off before shifting and keep in mind there’s a few sweet spots along the way.

@mitchellsteindler

2 ай бұрын

Lame

Mr JWW Great Video I'm glad you had found those M3 CSL and I think the price difference is crazy although I definitely get why and I hope you end up getting one

I spent my teen years in the mid 00s looking at every single 3 series that looked moderately sporty hoping when it got closer I'd see the an M3. The excitement when you finally saw one (which to be fair, was often in SW London)... my god such a beauty!

Smg is brilliant to use like a manual. Just upgrade the paddles to aluminium ones from the plastic to feel so much better

My brother has 90k on his CSL which he purchased new with delivery mileage. My nieces learned to drive in it! My M5 is around 600bhp but still can't keep up with my brother on the tight and twisty roads of Portugal. Has had a few minor modifications like an inconel exhaust and custom map but other than that it is pretty standard. I've just pointed him to this video as he has absolutely no idea of its value whatsoever!

Please do it James !!! Make a series like the Aston Martin series it would be a banger !

I had a e46 M3 SMG then converted to manual. Best move ever! I put a ActiveAutoWerks SC on it and was over 500HP. Loved the car but bought a F87 M2 with DCT and its just as great. I have an original NSX for lightweight manual fun. 😎

Thanks for including us in the movie! It was a pleasure!

Go for it. I love the E46 CSL, and I do have the same opinion, black is the way to go and manual conversion.

Drove the manual CSL with P1 car club back in the day - wonderful . no one believed how much better it was over the standard M3 - until they drove it

Always loved the M3 CSL. The Isle of Man Top Gear episode about it has always been one of favourites.

Look, as someone who has manual swapped my e46 M3, I can say, the SMGII is the appropriate gearbox for the car. With a tune to the SMG software it's a fantastic box. And like old mate said - drive it like a manual, lift the throttle between shifts like a manual. It's not a DCT and IMO a worthy setup, you keep both hands on the steering wheel which is always safer. Yes you lose clutch dumping and feathering ability but you gain launch control which is pretty cool for a car back from the early 2000s.

Thanks This The Great Car Video & Channel & Content & Passion & Respect 2024 Hello From Finland !

I was offered an E46 M3 CSL at 10% discount back in 2003 as the dealer who I bought my manual carbon black E46 M3 couldn't sell the CSL...reason being that SMG gearbox, and that's also the only reason why I didn't buy the CSL at the time. Fast forward 20 odd years and you can convert the SMG to a manual gearbox which the CSL should have had from the factory and SMG should have been an option like it was on the normal E46 M3.

My mate had one, remember sitting outside the pub looking at it. I wasn't a car guy, loved my motorbikes. Little did we know what we were looking at and the value they would be in the future. Had it for two years and sold it on.😢

Yes!! BMW content..Love it!!😎

What’s mind-blowing is that some of the fastest cars during touristfarten on the Ring are E46 M3s.

Another awesome video, what an event would love to visit it one day ;)

Me and a couple of mates drove to BMW in Inverness from Essex to pick up one of these. Incredible car!

Saw your senna in bham at car show...man that green carbon is fantastic 👌🏻

4-cylinders, and it is a fantastic engine!

By far the best video I've ever seen you deliver

I had a sapphire black e46 m3 competition..wonderful everything csl with sunroof heated vibrating seats and of course forged wheels

Nice video 👍 go for the black one

Wow James! I didn't know you were at InterClassics at Maastricht?! 😄 I was looking at that Alpinweiss Z4M Coupe. That's my absolute dreamcar! 😍

Love to see some classics

I’m all over that Polo Harlequin. Pure 90’s nostalgia ❤

Brother. Come to South Africa. We got 65 units. There a few fantastic examples here. They were not much more expensive than the standard E46 M3 at the time so there will be some floating around with lots of aftermarket mods!

I worked at a BMW dealership in the Cotswolds, England in 2003, I remember we had 2 x CSLs and 1 x BMW Z8 in stock, with a crazy waitlist on 330D E46s!

@dustingofthedecks

2 ай бұрын

I nearly bought a Z8 in 2003 for £39k, as the finance was just abit out of my reach, if only I knew what I know now lol

I just gave my E46 M3 manual with Dinan modifications to my 17 year old son. It has been garaged since new and has approximately 80K on it now. The car is clean and detailed regularly. He daily drives a 2001 Honda Accord that looks brand new.

M3 CSL is so cool! Looks like that black one needs a full paint restoration though

Have a look at Z4m they have all the same running gear as the csl but lighter

I actually preferred the SMG. It was quirky and somewhat unrefined but it gave the car character and was always a fun conversation with passengers.

Prices are a quarter to a third cheaper in RHD. So that conversation is about resale values and you may feel LHD is a better bet.

That was great to see 😎😎😎👍👍👍

Great video. Simple as that.

Not sure what’s possible but why not go down the lines of pdk / sequential instead of manual conversion to keep the car to its roots

BMW nailed the E46 body design, timeless design.

I would love an E46 M3 CSL one day, too, but... you just walked past an Alfasud!

I think it was Evo who reviewed the company that manual swap CSL, they said it was a perfect car ❤❤ E46 ❤❤

Here's my thinking, if a buyer has the money, buy the CSL and ask Koenigsegg to put their new manual/automatic CC850 gearbox in it. Blammo, perfect CSL.

Drugged up or too much champagne James? What an investment that CSL 1st customer car would be!

@barrywakefield4942

2 ай бұрын

You’re right : but you couldn’t modify it or even drive it so apart from trying to make money, what’s the point 🤔?

Just drive well maintained SMG a bit. It is not the fastes, absolutly not smoothest experience, but as he said, drive it like manual, get used to it. It is quite a nice experience in its way. It made me desire N/A automatic cars like GT3 with PDK or 458 instead of 488.

The best M that they ever made was the E12 M535i, the last one not badged (rear spoiler and M logo delivered in the trunk) we had them all up to the E39 and year after year they became more heavy and more general public friendly.

Thank you for another great video! I own my M3 CSL since 2011. I considered a manual conversion many times, but I also like the SMG (more than a PDK actually). I like its rawness and brutality. It contributes positively to the CSL's character. The standard brakes are also more than enough for road use imho.

@galazoulay8498

2 ай бұрын

Agreed on smg add to character, even aventador is still single clutch. Would you say his statement is accurate at the end about the air box and driving compared to a standard one e46 m3?

@AC-wl7ve

2 ай бұрын

Yeah I disagree with how he says it just feels like dated tech. It’s a very different experience than a pdk. It’s much more raw and analog and takes a bit of skill to drive properly. I had one and I loved it. the problem for me isn’t how it drives, it was the reliability. It was supper finicky as well, it would act up in hot weather or if I was sitting in traffic for a long time. Once the pump went I swapped it for a manual, but I really enjoyed how it drove.

@AAlx77

2 ай бұрын

@@galazoulay8498 I never compared with a "regular" E46 M3 with the CSL air box installed. I'm sure they sound pretty good as well.

@wodenuk6700

2 ай бұрын

The Dutch have more money that us.

You need a dixis titanium to finish it off. They are pretty hard to come by nowadays. Mine with it sounds like a complete t-rex

Had to watch IMMEDIATELY ❤

There’s an M3 CSL near me in north west UK with the reg plate ‘M3 CSL’

what is the brand of your sunglasses ?

My friend has two of these, both RHD in silver. He also has two DB 5’s and two SL65 black series. One RHD and one LHD. They are very rare. 1000nm beasts. He also has other amazing cars.

You should definitely get an E46 CSL.

Very cool car, modern classic, definitely needs a manual transmission. The black one is sold, so either you bought it or somebody else did... we will see on the channel 😉

I have driven a few CSL’s. The SMG gearbox even back when the car was launched was absolutely terrible.

Living the dream man!

There was a guy who worked for Overclockers in Fenton that had one of these from new. Terrified him if there was even a hint of moisture in the air

@victorydiaz11

2 ай бұрын

hey a valid reason to whip out the weather app in a group of people

do a crashed or cheapest e46 m3 rebuild series and convert into a manual swapped e46 m3 csl...make sure we get lots of sounds for that 6...there is another scope to gather views

Simply elegant

There were three silver ones driving around where lived when I was a kid.

Where is this show ? Would have been good to mention it in the description !

"You can't track day a house" gonna need that on a t-shirt 🤣

I must say, I preferred the M3cs, but then if it wishing time, it would be the original M3 e30 Evo 3. But with any special M3, you need deep pockets.

I’d take a clean 05/06 competition package with a manual with lower mileage and half the price over the CSL.

love the R5 Turbo

People don't understand how fun SMG is. It's kinda shame. Yes, you do have to drive it like a manual.

@jww perpetuating this nonsense that you need to stroke manuels pole to enjoy the CSL, SMG suits it perfectly!

Rather then modify a CSL with brakes and a manual conversion. Consider starting with a decent example of a manual standard car. OEM CSL parts aren’t as easy to come by, but still can be found. If you stored the original parts and convert back to standard when you are ready to sell. It would offer the same experience, with significantly less outlay and without the guilt of modifying a CSL. M3cutters would be a good starting point to look, lots of good people there.

Id love to take a Standard Manual M3 Santorini Blue or Phoenix Yellow and turn it into my version of the CSL. I just think Black and Silver are just plain boring plus I'm pretty sure, with quality aftermarket parts you could do a better version of the CSL for half the price. 130k is a lot for a what is essentially an M3.

Clear recommendation to buy😉 A doubling to a quarter of a million should be possible in the next 10 years

My lord.. That GT40 in Gulf Livery 🤩😳😮‍💨

@gewoonjoey-

2 ай бұрын

Replica😢

Very top heavy prices in Europe, it’s the same as the construction plant market- obviously don’t sell a lot

That car is also on my list, prices are nuts though 😆

The CSL need to be converted to manual! That F40 perfection

@Levente20

2 ай бұрын

no its not. smg is fine

@Nox1234567891011

2 ай бұрын

As Captian slow says standard

I know the right man that does exactly these conversions on e46 m3's and he is hands down the man...

@barrywakefield4942

2 ай бұрын

Darragh “Everything M3” in Banbury👍🏼

@ivayloivanov4388

2 ай бұрын

The one and only 😂

Unless you insist on having a genuine CSL (apparently up to ~$200k these days?!), I feel like I would rather start with a fully depreciated regular M3 and build that into an even better car than what the CSL is. I don't know the UK market but here in the US you can find a smg version for like $20,000, so that's like ~$180,000 left over to customize the car however you want! Since the SMG gearboxes are the same as the manual just with the autoshifting mechanism I'd rather start with a SMG car that wasn't abused by unskilled manual drivers. So do the manual conversion, refresh the engine with upgraded parts and carbon airbox, upgrade the brakes and suspension, and of course convert the roof and other body panels to carbon. Surely all that work could be done for less than $100k? IDK, just what I would do.

We were promised a huge announcement in q1 this year in your yearly wrapp up

Almost bought one on eBay in 2016 - it was a two owner, never been tracked car with 28k miles for £29k - doh (story of my life)

You can keep all your hyper cars I’d rather spend 2 million on probably a dozen classic sports cars that you showed in this video a the first two would be the white m3 and the silver csl , what a shopping trip that would be , heaven , and hope you find one by the way to convert as I still remember vividly been driven in a CSL many years ago by a famous motorcycle racer

That’s a steal at that price.

The E46 M3 CSL is such a nice car! 🔥

Where is this show and the name please ?

My favourite car with a manual transmission conversion

Why not buy a basic manual e46 and convert to a csl? There’s like a 100k difference, you can definitely use that extra capital to make the dream e46

5:27 that Harlequin...

they are so underated

I know how special that CSL was. I remember when it came out 😢

Love

unlikely there isnt a catalogue of what is there, its how these things are done.

my bmw had manual dog leg gear box , E12 M535I ......... Would like 1972 3.0 CSL