{"id":325202,"date":"2025-11-30T22:19:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T22:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/uncategorized\/you-can-own-a-piece-of-bmw-m-history-assuming-you-have-unlimited-money\/"},"modified":"2025-11-30T22:19:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T22:19:36","slug":"you-can-own-a-piece-of-bmw-m-history-assuming-you-have-unlimited-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=325202","title":{"rendered":"You Can Own a Piece of BMW M History, Assuming You Have Unlimited Money"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The 1970s were a wild time in the automotive industry. New technologies, new thinking, and increasing competition meant automakers had to think outside the box to stand out. For BMW, that meant starting a factory-backed race team. The idea, spearheaded by the infamous Bob Lutz, resulted in BMW\u2019s first M car, which you can now buy. \u00a0<\/p>\n

This 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL Werks development car was the first car built by the then-newly developed BMW Motorsport division. M built the car, E9\/R1, in late 1972 and early 1973, becoming the first of 21 CSL Werks<\/a> cars, 11 of which the factory team raced. The E9\/R1 would also go on to help develop the Batmobile Aero kit. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The car saw some competition, according to the Dylan Miles listing<\/a>, but BMW Motorsport sold it at the end of the 1973 season to an American racing team for the 1974 IMSA championship. After its one-year stint at IMSA, the team sold the cars and later retired. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The E9\/R1 would end up in a BMW<\/a> collection in the early 80s before the current private owner acquired the car in the mid-1990s. Since then, the vehicle has undergone an extensive restoration focused on preserving the car\u2019s originality. It\u2019s rare for a development vehicle to last this long with all its parts still attached. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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Photo by: Dylan Miles<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

The car has spent the better part of three decades behind closed doors, but it did make a hill climb run at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed in its pre-homologation spec. It made its most recent public appearance at the Salon Prive Concours D\u2019Elegance in August 2025, outfitted with the Batmobile kit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

BMW paid tribute to the CSLs just a few years ago with the limited-run 3.0 CSL<\/a>. The automaker built only 50 of them, featuring a 553-horsepower version of BMW\u2019s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine and a manual gearbox. It also had unique bodywork, including a prominent wing similar in style to the iconic\u00a0Batmobile.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This car has the larger 3.5-liter inline-six, which the listing says makes over 400 horsepower. The listing doesn\u2019t have a price\u2014you\u2019ll get that when you apply. Good luck.<\/p>\n

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