The Roots of BMW M
The BMW M1 was the first car officially sold as an M model, but Bavaria’s motorsport division traces its roots a little further back. BMW M was established in May 1972, and its very first project was the 3.0 CSL. Although it wasn’t badged or named an M car, it’s still the car that started it all.
Today, BMW M’s lineup has grown exponentially. It no longer does just coupes and sedans, but crossovers have also joined the mix – for better or worse. Some might say the M now stands for Marketing instead of Motorsport, but the division still makes great cars. Case in point, the G87 M2 Competition is, in many ways, the spiritual successor of the E30 M3. The E30 M3 took over racing duties from the M635CSi that succeeded, you guessed it, the 3.0 CSL.
Dylan Miles LTD
A Fitting Tribute
BMW has since made a number of Hommage concepts that paid tribute to the past masters. These were pretty sweet-looking tributes to the models that helped shape the performance division, but most never reached production. There was the extremely limited-run 3.0 CSL from 2023, of which 50 were made, based on the G82 M4.
Now, a newcomer to coachbuilding wants a crack at it. The company is called Riverti Automobili, and the Italian coachbuilder is turning the current-gen M2 (G87) into a 3.0 CSL tribute for its very first model. That’s a massive undertaking for a young brand, though it did release a teaser of what appeared to be the final product.
Riverti
Dimensionally Similar
In its day, the E9 Coupe the 3.0 CSL was built on was considered a fairly large two-door. Today, it’s pretty compact and even smaller than a modern-day 3 Series and even dwarfed by the 4 Series. If anything, the E9 is closer in size to today’s 2 Series Coupe and M2, so you could say it’s the better basis for the homage build.
The 3.0 CSL measured 183.5 inches long, 68.1 inches wide, and 53.9 inches tall, with a 103.3-inch wheelbase. The M2 measures 180 inches long, 74.3 inches wide, 55.2 inches tall, and has a 108.1-inch wheelbase. If it all works out, those dimensions should help Riverti pull off the classic tribute.
Viewed from the side profile, we can already see some of the box-flare arches and the big wing at the back. Meanwhile, the front end, with its four round headlights, echoes the CSL, as does the upswept headlight housing. We’d love to see how Riverti would pull off the grille. As for the rear, it tips its hat to another classic BMW. Those square taillights remind us of the 2002 Turbo, which also raced in DRM, the precursor to the series we now know as DTM. A nod to the Group 5 2002 Turbo is those massive scallops on the quarter panel.
Riverti
How Much Power?
That’s still the big unknown. That said, it’s safe to assume that the yet-to-be-named car will be powered by the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six (S58) engine that already resides under the hood of the M2. It already makes 473 hp and 442 lb-ft, far surpassing the original car’s 203 hp and 215 lb-ft.
Still, a bit more power wouldn’t hurt. Besides, the M2 CS has 523 hp and 479 lb-ft, so there’s plenty of wiggle room for tuning. It would be interesting if Riverti could not only extract more power from the twin-turbo inline-six, but also pair that engine to a manual. Now that would be an even more fitting nod to the 2002 Turbo and 3.0 CSL race cars that ruled the race tracks in the ’70s.
Riverti
