BMW will continue its tradition of rolling out classically-inspired concept cars at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, with this year’s event, kicking off Friday, May 22, set to be graced by a new design honoring the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL. The concept will be called the 3.0 CSL Hommage and a teaser shot revealing part of the design has been released to whet our appetites.

Just the thought of a modern-day 3.0 CSL is enough to get us all riled up, however. The original car, launched in 1972, was a homologation special for the 3.0 CSL racer that competed in a number of touring car series. It was based on the CS coupe built for BMW by Karmann and today is one of the most sought-after BMW models around.

The modern 3.0 CSL Hommage is the BMW design team’s tribute to the original, drawing on the character of the earlier model but with cutting-edge materials and technologies. Carbon fiber for the concept’s lower section is said to highlight its lightweight construction, while powerful wheel arches, striking air deflectors, a prominent roof spoiler and corresponding rear spoiler are said to hint at its track potential. A similar theme is said to carry over into the interior, where every element is absolutely essential for either structural or driving-related functions.

Before you get all excited about a production version, recall that previous Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este concepts unveiled by BMW, like 2012’s Zagato Coupe and 2008’s awesome M1 Hommage, haven’t been put into production despite their popularity. There is a chance, however, that some of the technological advances shown on the 3.0 CSL Hommage will make it to production, possibly on new ‘GTS’ or even ‘CSL’ versions of BMW’s regular fleet that the automaker may use to target Mercedes-AMG’s Black Series range.

Munich/Cernobbio. Amid the audacious design studies and automotive beauties from a bygone era gathered at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the BMW Group presents its new BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage – and in the process makes a pretty formidable statement of its own. This model is the BMW Design Team’s tribute to the 3.0 CSL, a timeless classic and iconic BMW Coupé from the 1970s.

“Our Hommage cars not only demonstrate how proud we are of our heritage, but also how important the past can be in determining our future,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage represents a nod to the engineering achievement exemplified by the BMW 3.0 CSL in its lightweight design and performance. With intelligent lightweight construction and modern materials, the 3.0 CSL Hommage brings the character of that earlier model into the 21st century, showing it in a new and exciting guise,” he says, summarising the approach the design team took with the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage.

Lightweight design past and present.
“CSL” stands for “Coupé Sport Leichtbau” (coupé, sport, lightweight). With its aluminium bonnet, boot and wings, Plexiglas windows and equipment rigorously pared down to the bare essentials, the old BMW 3.0 CSL tipped the scales around 200 kg lighter than its sibling model, the BMW 3.0 CS. Unsurprisingly, then, it was predestined for a career on the race track. Whereas the material of choice in the 1970s was aluminium, today carbon fibre – or carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) – offers the optimum weight-to-strength ratio. These high-strength fibres are even lighter and stronger than aluminium. And the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage makes generous use of the high-tech composite, reinterpreting the concept of lightweight design for the modern age. Wherever CFRP is used, it is also visible – rendering the lightweight design principle tangible both inside and out. The BMW Group is a world leader in the production and application of CFRP in automotive design and can already boast many years of experience in series production of CFRP structural parts for the BMW M and, in particular, the BMW i.

The exterior: power and elegance.
Karim Habib, Head of BMW Design, explains the thinking behind the design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage: “For BMW designers like us, the BMW 3.0 CSL is a style icon. Its combination of racing genes and elegance generates an engaging aesthetic that continues to win hearts even today.
The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage celebrates many of those characteristic features, but without copying them. Indeed, some of the parallels are not immediately obvious. We wanted people to sense the family resemblance rather than see it straight off.”

The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage is a vision of pure athleticism: the elongated body is set off by distinctive air deflectors, powerful wheel arches and prominent spoilers to the roof and tail. Despite its size, the aerodynamic elements are key in enabling air to flow optimally along the sides of the vehicle. The front air deflector serves to vent the engine compartment, while wings over the rear wheels ensure optimum airflow around the vehicle. Small rear-view cameras serve to further reduce aerodynamic drag. The large rear spoiler increases downforce on the driven rear axle and in so doing improves power transmission. The Air Curtain and Air Breather systems guarantee optimum ventilation of the wheel housings. And the sheer self-confidence and sporting prowess of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage are perfectly summed up in the original colour of its spiritual predecessor – Golf Yellow.

The front end – muscular athleticism.
Boasting one of the broadest and lowest front ends of any vehicle in the BMW Group, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage’s front exudes pure power and athleticism. At the centre, the characteristic BMW kidney grille stands tall in citation of the more upright styling of the kidney grille of yesteryear. The size and spatial depth of the kidney grille symbolise the output of the powerful six-cylinder in-line engine with eBoost. At the same time, the finely wrought geometry of frame and kidney struts lends the front end an air of quality and exclusivity. The characteristic four-eyed face gives a contemporary, hexagonal interpretation of front-end sportiness. Laser light and LED technology facilitate slender, state-of-the-art lighting graphics, and the flat contours of the headlamps generate that characteristically focused BMW look. A stylised “X” inside the lights divides the lighting functions and conjures up memories of the X-shaped headlamp stickers once used in long-distance racing. Horizontal LED strips create a visual bond between headlamps and kidney grille while at the same time emphasising the broad, flat impact of the front end. A large carbon-fibre front splitter reduces the gap between road and front end and, in combination with the kidney grille, offers a modern interpretation of the earlier car’s highly distinctive shark nose. Two circular openings and a series of elongated slots pay tribute to other elements featured in the earlier car, but offer a new interpretation for the 21st century.

The sides – contrapuntal elegance.
The vehicle sides are in elegant counterpoint to the marked athleticism of front and rear. The long wheelbase and elongated bonnet appear to stretch the Hommage’s silhouette. A continuous, horizontal line encircles the vehicle by way of paying tribute to a distinctive stylistic feature of the earlier BMW 3.0 CSL: its all-round chrome trim. In combination with the black highlight beneath, the continuous line intensifies the flat, elongated appearance of the sides.

A particular detail of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage is the roofline. Consciously subdivided into three, the line recalls the distinctive upper section of the BMW 3.0 CS – one of the first coupés to feature a roof that did not flow into the tail. Compared with the ubiquitous fastback coupés of the day, this was both an innovation and a design statement, a feature that exuded athleticism and elegance in equal measure. In keeping with the BMW 3.0 CSL, the Hommage features a BMW logo on each of the C-pillars.

The all-round shoulderline is also the starting point for the subtle, finely sculpted surfaces of the sides. It follows the development of the shadowy areas behind the front wheel all the way to the lit surfaces above the rear wheels. This interplay between light and shade lends movement and dynamic intensity to the generous surfaces of the vehicle’s sides. Dark CFRP areas narrow the gap between the sides and the road, again paying tribute to the consistent lightweight design of the BMW 3.0 CSL. In combination with the black graphic accents, the dark lightweight elements reduce the perceived height of the vehicle and further emphasise its flat silhouette. The black 21" alloy wheels in matt and high-gloss bi-colour versions offer an additional unique highlight. Air control blades in the interstices of the wheel rims, meanwhile, serve to further optimise aerodynamics.

The rear end – a muscular presence.
As with the front end, the vehicle’s tail is broad and muscular in design. Generous surfaces generate presence, horizontal elements emphasise width. A particular highlight is the styling of the rear lights: an LED strip above the spoiler links the two lights, thus giving the rear end a formal framework. The powerfully sculpted rear apron with CFRP diffusor creates a visual impression of the BMW 3.0 CSL’s raw power. Even viewed from above, the BMW 3.0 CSL is extremely dynamic. From kidney grille to headlamps, the bonnet traces a broad “V” – a nostalgic throwback to a distinctive and dynamic element of earlier BMW coupés.

The interior – purist elegance.
Pared down to a minimum, the interior of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage puts its lightweight design on show and renders its racing character elegantly tangible. All interior elements are there out of absolute necessity, every part has a high-quality design, structural or drive-related function. In the all-CFRP interior, the only wood-like presence is the “instrument panel” – a cross-member and purely structural element. This is a clear reference to the interior of the earlier BMW 3.0 CSL, which featured an all-round wood trim throughout the interior. In the new version, only the small central eBoost charging display interrupts the wooden instrument panel. Infotainment is equally minimalist in concept: a central display on the steering column informs the driver of the current gear, speed, revs and shift point.

Racing genes and lightweight design with finesse.
Other racing features include bucket seats with high-quality stitching, a six-point belt and red anodised safety features such as the outlet nozzles for the extinguishing foam, the fire extinguisher itself, and the two switches on the centre console for the emergency shut-off and fire extinguishing mechanism. The only elements in the rear of the vehicle are two helmets integrated into the transmission tunnel. These are held in place by a belt when not in use. In the place of a rear seat bench, there are only covers for the eBoost energy accumulators. Special reflector technology in combination with LED strips create an impressive 3D effect on the covers.

In its use of cutting-edge materials and detailed solutions, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage displays technical sophistication and subtlety of form. Meticulously crafted aluminium sleeves add high-quality accents at the junctions between individual structural elements. The door design is as minimalist as it is expressive: precise, clean surfaces trace an arc rearwards, lending the door element a flowing, dynamic quality. The door openers combine a DTM-style pull strap with the elegant handle-integrated opener of the earlier BMW 3.0 CSL, resulting in the hybrid solution of a nylon pull strap located directly behind the grab handle in the door. As with the interior as a whole, this detail lends expression to the unique character of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage: a winning combination of lightweight design, athleticism and elegance.

If you don’t like the way most modern BMWs look, you might find yourself in something of a persecuted minority—depending on the crowd. But after the 2015 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage, you’ll always win the argument, forever.
That’s right, the 3.0 CSL Hommage retroactively erases any beauty any BMW ever had. At any point in history. Or it damned well feels like it, anyway.

They can’t even spell “homage” ferpetessake.

So what is going on here? We could break it all down and explain the ugly in techno-Teutonic terms, but that would be completely disingenuous.

It would also be incredibly hard on our digestive systems, which are having trouble remaining intact when looking at these photos for more than 3-4 seconds at a stretch.

BMW, you do a lot of stuff well, but design, at least for the last, oh, 12 years or so, hasn’t been one of them. This pile of neurasthenic puke should have been wadded up and tossed into the nearest bin. Then the bin should have been lit on fire. Then the ashes should have been packed into a cannon and shot into space.

Except that might have started an interstellar war. So really, this 3.0 CSL Hommage thing should just never have existed at all.

And it most certainly should not be wearing anything E9 or 3.0 CSL-related.

A travesty. A betrayal. An utter failure.

BMW: The Ultimate Ugly Machine.

Nothing like some old school tribute.

We’ve known this was coming for the past couple of weeks and we honestly couldn’t be more thrilled at BMW’s latest concept. Presenting the 3.0 CSL Hommage Concept which has just had its official debut at the 2015 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. As a tribute to the iconic 3.0 CSL, the concept is described by BMW as a "modern interpretation of the earlier car’s highly distinctive shark nose." Also note the carbon fiber front splitter and the large twin kidney grille combined with slender laser light LED headlights.

Note the prominent and muscular fenders, carbon fiber side skirts and even a small rearview camera. A rear and roof spoiler are particularly great tribute touches. The concept rides on a set of 21-inch wheels and LED taillights and carbon fiber rear diffuser round out the exterior.

In August every year car enthusiasts from all over the world gather for the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach to immerse themselves in the fascination of both automotive treasures from years gone by and pioneering studies for times to come. The BMW Group has come up with something very special this year with the world premiere of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R – a car that celebrates both the 40th anniversary of BMW in North America and the heady racing success of the BMW 3.0 CSL in 1975.

1975 was the year the Bavarian manufacturer founded BMW of North America, its first official sales company outside Europe. It was also the year in which BMW Motorsport made its debut in motor racing stateside – in the IMSA series – with a specially made BMW 3.0 CSL. Just a few weeks later BMW recorded its first, historic triumph at the 12 Hours of Sebring. This was followed by a succession of victories, including one at Laguna Seca, just 15 miles from Pebble Beach. BMW’s rookie year duly culminated in the white BMW 3.0 CSL, decked out in eye-catching BMW Motorsport livery, winning the manufacturers’ championship at the first attempt. This success, coupled with the car’s striking design and the “Bavarian Motor Works” legend emblazoned across the sun protection film on the windscreen and rear window, announced the BMW brand’s arrival in racing-mad North America with a bang.

“Motor racing is all about the ability of cars to mesmerise, about the unbridled joy of driving,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “And as such it represents the heartbeat of BMW. Back in 1975, as today, winning races came down to how man and machine could work together. Technical innovations have taken the effectiveness of this partnership to ever great heights. And with the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R we’re aiming to show how much closer the driver and car can grow in the future.”

A new level of driver focus – the interior.

Given the aim of achieving the best possible fusion of driver and car, the driver was the logical starting point for the design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R. For the seamless integration of the driver into the car, the designers extrapolated the principle of driver focus beyond the geometric form of the interior. In the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R, the idea of centring attention on the driver begins with his immediate surroundings. This new approach led the designers first to the driver’s helmet, race suit and seat before moving onto the lines and surfaces of the interior.

This way of doing things changes the nature of conventional interior functions. As the layer of interaction closest to the driver, the helmet visor assumes the functions of a display and projects situation-based information such as the car’s speed, gear engaged and engine revs into the driver’s direct field of view. The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R thus enhances the driver’s direct perception. The idea of the Head-Up Display, which has already proved its effectiveness in series-produced BMW models by flagging up driving-related information without distracting the driver, is therefore expressed in a whole new way. “Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel” is the name of the game – i.e. enabling the driver to concentrate fully on the job of driving the car.

As well as helping him to do his job, the driver’s race suit (a classical design by Puma®) visually expresses the connection between the driver and the car. If both the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel, illuminated piping integrated into the sleeves of the suit shows the progress of information – from the shift impulse display, for example – out of the steering column over the driver’s arms and into his visor.

The side-section design of the large carbon-fibre seat shells reflects the anatomy of the seated driver, thus providing maximum support in any driving situation. At the same time, the seats ensure the driver’s body has the best possible connection with the car, giving him a physical feel for it with almost his whole body, in any situation, and thus allowing him to react faster and more effectively. The seat shells follow a rising diagonal path rearwards, a line extended behind the seats into the rear by a structural carbon-fibre element that increases the torsional rigidity of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R. The white seat surfaces with fanned-out quilting, integrated into the seat shell, mimic the design of the driver’s race suit, while BMW Motorsport’s signature stripes on the six-point safety harness add an extra splash of colour.

Commitment to lightweight construction and technical refinement.

In the area around the driver’s seat, the designers have drawn back the covers on the lightweight design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R and lent tangible form to its racing character. A carbon-fibre roll cage integrated into the structure of the car’s roof and side sections forms the basis for the interior’s singularly minimalist geometry. All the elements in the interior are there out of absolute necessity; every component has been designed with a purpose, a function linked directly to the structure of the machine or the job of driving. In an interior made almost entirely from carbon fibre, the only wood-like presence is the “instrument panel” – actually a cross-member and purely structural element. This is a reference to a central element of the earlier BMW 3.0 CSL, in which even the racing version had distinctive wood trim ringing the whole of the interior. A particular highlight here is the additional information illuminated through the wood. Recalling the BMW 3.0 CSL’s victory at Laguna Seca in May 1975, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R displays the track layout and braking points through the instrument panel’s wood strip. By using light in this way, this ultra-sophisticated, super-smooth information display removes the need for a classical display and slips perfectly into the car’s minimalist interior design philosophy. Only the small central eBoost charging display interrupts the flow of the otherwise unbroken wooden surface. BMW Motorsport stripes for the instrument panel surround lend extra colour.

The commitment to paring the car down to the bare essentials places particular emphasis on the steering column. As a mechanical link between the driver and car, it is home to all the operating elements and controls. The only “comfort” function are the two vents on the sides of the steering column, which supply the driver with fresh air at ambient temperature. A small display on the steering column provides the driver with secondary information such as lap times, overall race time and the car’s current track position, as required. Other racing elements in the interior include red anodised safety features, such as the outlet nozzles for the fire extinguishing foam, the extinguisher itself, and the two switches on the centre console for the emergency shut-off and fire extinguishing mechanism. The rear only has space for two helmets integrated into the centre tunnel. These are held in place by a belt when not in use. Underneath the longitudinal braces jutting out to the rear are the covers for the eBoost energy accumulators. Meticulously crafted aluminium sleeves add high-quality accents at the junctions between individual structural elements. In its materials and detailed solutions, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage displays both technical sophistication and subtlety of form.

Motor racing through and through – the exterior.

“Both inside and outside, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R is primarily a reflection of its function,” explains Karim Habib, Head of Design BMW Automobiles. “The exterior and interior design is based around the requirements of motor sport as far as the car and driver are concerned; aerodynamics and driving dynamics on the one hand, the most direct connection between driver and machine on the other. In my view, that’s something the Hommage car expresses in a very emotional way. At the same time, all the details from the BMW 3.0 CSL are present in the Hommage model. And they are all there to be discovered in their original form. It’s a bow to the 1975 car.”

The exterior design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R is a pure expression of motor racing. The stretched body is framed by distinctive air deflectors, powerful wheel arches and a prominent rear spoiler, which likewise cite the successful IMSA racing version of the original BMW 3.0 CSL. Every detail of the Hommage car has its origins in the successful racing machine from 1975, but all have since been updated and integrated technically into a modern design language. The colours and graphics used, not to mention the addition of a number 25, reference the extraordinary record of success notched up by the works BMW 3.0 CSL in 1975. Indeed, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R even revives details such as the “Bavarian Motor Works” decals on the windscreen and rear window. Swathes of exposed carbon fibre spotlight the 1975 model’s commitment to lightweight construction and, as a cutting-edge material, bring it into the modern era.

Power and athleticism – the front end.

The front end of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R, one of the broadest and lowest of any model in the BMW family, positively exudes power and athleticism. The flow of the surfaces and graphic accents in the front apron showcase the car’s wheels and underline its wide, powerful impression. In the centre of the front end is a large version of the signature BMW kidney grille, which references the upright form favoured at the time. The familiar four-eyed face – with its contemporary, hexagonal interpretation – emphasises the sporting intent of the front end. Laser lighting and LED technology enable slim, modern light graphics, and the narrow contours of the headlights give the BMW the focused look typical of the brand’s cars. A stylised, blue-lit “X” inside the lights separates the light functions from one another and, at the same time, recalls the X-shaped headlight taping used for endurance races. The large, black front splitter made from carbon fibre and with accents in BMW Motorsport’s colours sets the seal on the front end as it plunges down to the road. Together with the kidney grille, it creates a large stylistic aperture, providing a visual hint of the engine’s power and performance. From the side, the front apron and kidney grille present a modern take on the shark nose design that was already turning heads in 1975, ensuring the car would be easily recognisable.

From the side – sporting flair with a touch of elegance.

The long wheelbase and sweeping bonnet stretch the Hommage car’s silhouette visually and lend it a touch of elegance to go with its dominant sporting brio. The familiar line graphics along the car’s flanks further strengthen this impression. The exclusive exterior colour Brilliant White with its slight metallic effect adds a gleam to the surfaces and lends the powerful contours a vivid sculptural impact. The line graphics in BMW Motorsport colours pick up the surface movements in the front, rear and flanks, further emphasising the car’s sinewy looks. Dark carbon-fibre surfaces round off the flanks at their lower edge and point to the commitment to lightweight design of the original BMW 3.0 CSL. The matt gold 21-inch light-alloy wheels with black inlays add a special flourish.

The rear end – muscular presence.

The rear of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R makes a statement of maximum sporting intent. The large rear spoiler and carbon-fibre double diffuser are straight out of the racing car blueprint and brim with aerodynamic sophistication. The powerfully contoured rear apron draws the eye to the car’s wheels and, in so doing, visually showcases the power of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R. The BMW Motorsport line graphics reproduce this movement, further strengthening its muscular presence on the road. The rear light design is particularly distinctive, a strip of LEDs extending along the spoiler to link the two lights and providing a stylistic border for the rear end.

The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R also cuts a dynamically imposing figure when viewed from above. The bonnet fans out in a wide “V” from kidney grille to headlights, recalling a striking and dynamic element of earlier BMW coupes. The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R therefore combines all the classic BMW hallmarks within a modern and emotionally rich design language, adding even greater lustre to the already glittering engineering achievement of 40 years ago.