Does This Leaked Image Prove The BMW M2 CSL Already Exists?

But has BMW even signed off on production?

For those who think the M2 and the M2 Competition can’t get any better, well, just wait. Over the past few months, we’ve heard rumors the guys in Munich are planning yet another M2 variant, the CSL. Or could it be called the CS? Of course the automaker is remaining mum on the subject, but that silence may no longer be relevant. Thanks to BMW Blog, this here leaked all but confirms not only this more hardcore coupe’s existence but also its name. An unnamed source provided this dashboard image to BMW Blog, and it very clearly shows the car’s name: M2 CSL.

Now, it’s important we also point out, again according to BMW Blog’s sources, that the green light has yet to officially be given for the M2 CSL, meaning the car is probably, more or less, ready to go, but a business case has yet to be made. BMW is known for testing different drivetrains and configurations, some of which never reach production. Fortunately, the M2 CSL’s chances are good.

Not only has the reception to the M2 Competition been outstanding, but base M2 sales remain solid. After all, it’s M models like the M2 that are keeping the manual transmission alive in the US. But given the M2 Competition’s stellar reviews, there is always room for improvement. For example, there’s room for additional weight loss and more aggressive suspension tuning.

Even the S55 engine could stand to gain a bit more horsepower and torque, exceeding the M2 Competition’s 410 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. After all, this is the same engine found in the current M3/M4 where it produces a maximum of 453 hp and 443 lb-ft. Another thing working in favor of the M2 CSL is time. BMW has plans in place to continue building the M2 until sometime in 2021. Therefore, the M2 CSL could serve as a limited production car to mark the pinnacle of M2 performance capabilities. It’d be one hell of a way for the M2 lineup to end its production life cycle.

Does This Leaked Image Prove The BMW M2 CSL Already Exists?

But has BMW even signed off on production?

For those who think the M2 and the M2 Competition can’t get any better, well, just wait. Over the past few months, we’ve heard rumors the guys in Munich are planning yet another M2 variant, the CSL. Or could it be called the CS? Of course the automaker is remaining mum on the subject, but that silence may no longer be relevant. Thanks to BMW Blog, this here leaked all but confirms not only this more hardcore coupe’s existence but also its name. An unnamed source provided this dashboard image to BMW Blog, and it very clearly shows the car’s name: M2 CSL.

Now, it’s important we also point out, again according to BMW Blog’s sources, that the green light has yet to officially be given for the M2 CSL, meaning the car is probably, more or less, ready to go, but a business case has yet to be made. BMW is known for testing different drivetrains and configurations, some of which never reach production. Fortunately, the M2 CSL’s chances are good.

Not only has the reception to the M2 Competition been outstanding, but base M2 sales remain solid. After all, it’s M models like the M2 that are keeping the manual transmission alive in the US. But given the M2 Competition’s stellar reviews, there is always room for improvement. For example, there’s room for additional weight loss and more aggressive suspension tuning.

Even the S55 engine could stand to gain a bit more horsepower and torque, exceeding the M2 Competition’s 410 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. After all, this is the same engine found in the current M3/M4 where it produces a maximum of 453 hp and 443 lb-ft. Another thing working in favor of the M2 CSL is time. BMW has plans in place to continue building the M2 until sometime in 2021. Therefore, the M2 CSL could serve as a limited production car to mark the pinnacle of M2 performance capabilities. It’d be one hell of a way for the M2 lineup to end its production life cycle.

Why Buy A New BMW M3 When This V10 3 Series Exists?

And it's now for sale for less than the cost of a new M3.

Automakers have been forced to downsize their engines in the wake of increasingly stringent fuel economy and emissions regulations. The BMW M5 went from a V10 down to a V8, and the M3 lost its V8 in favor of an inline-six. There are some cars that buck the rule, but we generally prefer the larger naturally aspirated engines that sound superior to their turbocharged counterparts. A modern BMW M3 produces a healthy 425 horsepower from a twin-turbo inline-six, but this pales in comparison to the BMW Hartge H50.

Hartge GmbH is a German tuner known for taking engines from larger BMWs and stuffing them into smaller cars. Some of Hartge's pasts projects include a 1 Series hatchback and Z4 with the S62 V8 from the E39 M5. The company also built an E46 M3 with the E39 M5's V8, which was known as the H50. When the E90 generation debuted in 2006, Hartge had to up the ante somehow, so it shoved in the 5.0-liter V10 engine from the E60 M5 to create a new H50. Only 10 cars are known to exist, and this is the only one in the United States. It also happens to be for sale.

The V10 engine has been tuned to produce 550 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque, which is enough to rocket the H50 up to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 200 mph. When it was new, the conversion cost $220,000 plus the price of a 325i. Now the car is being sold by Enthusiast Auto Group, a dealership that specializes in rare BMW cars, for a fraction of the price, currently listed at just under $60,000. It also only has 36,711 miles on its clock. Why buy a new M3, when you could be this rare beast instead?

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Why Buy A New BMW M3 When This V10 3 Series Exists?

And it's now for sale for less than the cost of a new M3.

Automakers have been forced to downsize their engines in the wake of increasingly stringent fuel economy and emissions regulations. The BMW M5 went from a V10 down to a V8, and the M3 lost its V8 in favor of an inline-six. There are some cars that buck the rule, but we generally prefer the larger naturally aspirated engines that sound superior to their turbocharged counterparts. A modern BMW M3 produces a healthy 425 horsepower from a twin-turbo inline-six, but this pales in comparison to the BMW Hartge H50.

Hartge GmbH is a German tuner known for taking engines from larger BMWs and stuffing them into smaller cars. Some of Hartge's pasts projects include a 1 Series hatchback and Z4 with the S62 V8 from the E39 M5. The company also built an E46 M3 with the E39 M5's V8, which was known as the H50. When the E90 generation debuted in 2006, Hartge had to up the ante somehow, so it shoved in the 5.0-liter V10 engine from the E60 M5 to create a new H50. Only 10 cars are known to exist, and this is the only one in the United States. It also happens to be for sale.

The V10 engine has been tuned to produce 550 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque, which is enough to rocket the H50 up to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 200 mph. When it was new, the conversion cost $220,000 plus the price of a 325i. Now the car is being sold by Enthusiast Auto Group, a dealership that specializes in rare BMW cars, for a fraction of the price, currently listed at just under $60,000. It also only has 36,711 miles on its clock. Why buy a new M3, when you could be this rare beast instead?

2018 BMW 6 Series GT First Look Review: We're Still Not Sure Why This Exists

Did BMW ask anyone how they felt about the 5 Series GT?

We're starting to believe that BMW doesn't have anyone on its payroll paying attention to what customers want. BMW has made a conscious decision to move away from what helped make it great in the '80s, building comfortable cars that were a blast to drive. Modern day BMW cars have more technology and less driver feel, which has been a trend in the whole industry. We could forgive BMW for everything that it has done, but just last week BMW did something that was the final straw for us. It replaced the horrible 5 Series GT with a new model.

Ask any member of any BMW club in the US what the worst looking modern BMW model is, and the unanimous answer is the 5 Series GT: a weird, sort-of crossover that looked like a 5 Series that had been stung by bees. As much as it hurts us to say, the design did have some benefits for people who like to ride a bit high. It also had good storage space and BMW did offer it with a potent V8. Still, just take a look at the Audi A4 Allroad and you can see where BMW went wrong. The A4 Allroad was raised up to fool American consumers into thinking it wasn't a wagon, and has just seven cubic feet less storage (with the seats down) despite being a much smaller car than the 5 Series.

The wagon is making a huge comeback in the US thanks to awesome models like the Mercedes E-Class Estate and the Volvo V90. BMW already spent a ton of development dollars building the excellent 5 Series Touring, and it could have just stopped there. The wagon variant of the 5 Series looks fantastic, so instead of wasting money developing the 6 Series GT, it could have just crash tested the 5 Series Touring for the US market. We have had it with automakers telling us that there isn't any money to develop good wagons. If BMW thinks that Americans hate wagons that much, why does it already sell the 3 Series Wagon in the states? The decision making here completely baffles us.

We wish that BMW had made a better decision with the 5 Series GT, but we were certain that the company couldn't make the same mistake again after receiving so much backlash over the car's ugly looks. Clearly there isn't a person in charge of reading hate mail at BMW because the company has replaced the 5 Series GT with the same stupid design. The car is now called the 6 Series GT, and like the old model, albeit based on the normal G30 5 Series. For now, BMW is only offering the car as a 640i with a 3.0-liter inline-six, which will start at $70,695. That's about $14,000 more than a normal 540i, just to get an extra 12 cubic feet of cargo room and an ugly butt.

We never had the (let's call it) pleasure to drive the 5 Series GT, but we have been in the latest G30 540i. The 640i GT will probably drive very similarly with a ton of comfort and autonomous features. The 6 Series GT will likely have its handling compromised by the higher ride height, so anyone who is looking for a sports sedan should look elsewhere. We simply can't believe that BMW even listened to a single review of the 5 Series GT before revealing the new 6 Series GT. If so, it would have looked at the market and seen that other manufacturers like Audi and Jaguar are getting ready to make the wagon cool again in the US.

At some point, BMW must have stepped back from designing the 6 Series GT and though "crap, we built the same ugly car." While it is an improvement, we've never met anyone who asked us to recommend something that looks like a car and drives like an SUV, but with less storage capacity. We encourage enthusiasts to send angry letters to BMW, because whoever is in charge there has clearly lost touch with what made the company great in the first place. We don't dislike the 6 Series GT out of pure hate, rather because we know that BMW is capable of so much better. This could have been a wagon or a shooting brake, but instead it became something that no one asked for.

When it comes to finding a competitor, we're struggling with the 6 Series GT because there isn't really anything else like it on the market (perhaps for good reason). We could see it competing with luxury SUV-coupe models like the Mercedes GLE Coupe and BMW X6, or wagons like the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Either way, we would recommend considering almost anything other than this car. It has been a while since we've felt so strongly about a new car, but clearly BMW hasn't listened to anything we have to say, so we can only make a plea to everyone to help this car fail by not buying it.

Does This Leaked Image Prove The BMW M2 CSL Already Exists?

But has BMW even signed off on production?

For those who think the M2 and the M2 Competition can’t get any better, well, just wait. Over the past few months, we’ve heard rumors the guys in Munich are planning yet another M2 variant, the CSL. Or could it be called the CS? Of course the automaker is remaining mum on the subject, but that silence may no longer be relevant. Thanks to BMW Blog, this here leaked all but confirms not only this more hardcore coupe’s existence but also its name. An unnamed source provided this dashboard image to BMW Blog, and it very clearly shows the car’s name: M2 CSL.

Now, it’s important we also point out, again according to BMW Blog’s sources, that the green light has yet to officially be given for the M2 CSL, meaning the car is probably, more or less, ready to go, but a business case has yet to be made. BMW is known for testing different drivetrains and configurations, some of which never reach production. Fortunately, the M2 CSL’s chances are good.

Not only has the reception to the M2 Competition been outstanding, but base M2 sales remain solid. After all, it’s M models like the M2 that are keeping the manual transmission alive in the US. But given the M2 Competition’s stellar reviews, there is always room for improvement. For example, there’s room for additional weight loss and more aggressive suspension tuning.

Even the S55 engine could stand to gain a bit more horsepower and torque, exceeding the M2 Competition’s 410 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. After all, this is the same engine found in the current M3/M4 where it produces a maximum of 453 hp and 443 lb-ft. Another thing working in favor of the M2 CSL is time. BMW has plans in place to continue building the M2 until sometime in 2021. Therefore, the M2 CSL could serve as a limited production car to mark the pinnacle of M2 performance capabilities. It’d be one hell of a way for the M2 lineup to end its production life cycle.

2018 BMW 6 Series GT First Look Review: We're Still Not Sure Why This Exists

Did BMW ask anyone how they felt about the 5 Series GT?

We're starting to believe that BMW doesn't have anyone on its payroll paying attention to what customers want. BMW has made a conscious decision to move away from what helped make it great in the '80s, building comfortable cars that were a blast to drive. Modern day BMW cars have more technology and less driver feel, which has been a trend in the whole industry. We could forgive BMW for everything that it has done, but just last week BMW did something that was the final straw for us. It replaced the horrible 5 Series GT with a new model.

Ask any member of any BMW club in the US what the worst looking modern BMW model is, and the unanimous answer is the 5 Series GT: a weird, sort-of crossover that looked like a 5 Series that had been stung by bees. As much as it hurts us to say, the design did have some benefits for people who like to ride a bit high. It also had good storage space and BMW did offer it with a potent V8. Still, just take a look at the Audi A4 Allroad and you can see where BMW went wrong. The A4 Allroad was raised up to fool American consumers into thinking it wasn't a wagon, and has just seven cubic feet less storage (with the seats down) despite being a much smaller car than the 5 Series.

The wagon is making a huge comeback in the US thanks to awesome models like the Mercedes E-Class Estate and the Volvo V90. BMW already spent a ton of development dollars building the excellent 5 Series Touring, and it could have just stopped there. The wagon variant of the 5 Series looks fantastic, so instead of wasting money developing the 6 Series GT, it could have just crash tested the 5 Series Touring for the US market. We have had it with automakers telling us that there isn't any money to develop good wagons. If BMW thinks that Americans hate wagons that much, why does it already sell the 3 Series Wagon in the states? The decision making here completely baffles us.

We wish that BMW had made a better decision with the 5 Series GT, but we were certain that the company couldn't make the same mistake again after receiving so much backlash over the car's ugly looks. Clearly there isn't a person in charge of reading hate mail at BMW because the company has replaced the 5 Series GT with the same stupid design. The car is now called the 6 Series GT, and like the old model, albeit based on the normal G30 5 Series. For now, BMW is only offering the car as a 640i with a 3.0-liter inline-six, which will start at $70,695. That's about $14,000 more than a normal 540i, just to get an extra 12 cubic feet of cargo room and an ugly butt.

We never had the (let's call it) pleasure to drive the 5 Series GT, but we have been in the latest G30 540i. The 640i GT will probably drive very similarly with a ton of comfort and autonomous features. The 6 Series GT will likely have its handling compromised by the higher ride height, so anyone who is looking for a sports sedan should look elsewhere. We simply can't believe that BMW even listened to a single review of the 5 Series GT before revealing the new 6 Series GT. If so, it would have looked at the market and seen that other manufacturers like Audi and Jaguar are getting ready to make the wagon cool again in the US.

At some point, BMW must have stepped back from designing the 6 Series GT and though "crap, we built the same ugly car." While it is an improvement, we've never met anyone who asked us to recommend something that looks like a car and drives like an SUV, but with less storage capacity. We encourage enthusiasts to send angry letters to BMW, because whoever is in charge there has clearly lost touch with what made the company great in the first place. We don't dislike the 6 Series GT out of pure hate, rather because we know that BMW is capable of so much better. This could have been a wagon or a shooting brake, but instead it became something that no one asked for.

When it comes to finding a competitor, we're struggling with the 6 Series GT because there isn't really anything else like it on the market (perhaps for good reason). We could see it competing with luxury SUV-coupe models like the Mercedes GLE Coupe and BMW X6, or wagons like the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Either way, we would recommend considering almost anything other than this car. It has been a while since we've felt so strongly about a new car, but clearly BMW hasn't listened to anything we have to say, so we can only make a plea to everyone to help this car fail by not buying it.