Real world difference between an M3 and a CSL...

[funtime]

Evening all, I wonder if you could share your opinions and experiences with me.

I have an M3 SMG at the moment and have been hankering after a CSL for the last year. I haven't yet driven a CSL, nor come across one on track to make the comparison so here's where you lucky CSL owners come in.

Looks aside (as I don't want to make mine look like something it's not) what would you say would be the difference between the car's below round a track like Silverstone, and the ring?

A) M3 SMG with a few choice mod's - Ap's all round, Intrax coilovers, limiter kit, remap and the all important 18's

B)Standard CSL

C)CSL with the same modifications as A)

The CSL is roughly £15k ontop of my M3 and whilst it's also going to hold it's money better and is no doubt the better car all round, I'm just trying to establish how much difference there actually is in the real world when compared to an M3 with £4-5k's worth of proper modifications...

Munich Legends are currently looking for a CSL for me so as soon as they find a nice one i'll have the chance to experience the difference but until then i'm just weighing up the options.

Thanks, James

[monkeycsl]

The csl will make you feel like a god at silverstone taking the trickiest corner at about 2 mph faster than your tin top m3,:thumbs:Oh and the brakes are slightly larger so disipitate heat slightly better,and they hate getting dirty the car i mean.

[shimmy]

The CSL feels very different and comparing stock for stock they work very differently on track BUT if you are prepared to modify your M3 you can improve it quite alot more than we can improve the CSL making them much closer in performance BUT not many will add the all important airbox, cams or suspension components that make it work so well.

The sound is hard to replicate for sure.

[funtime]

The csl will make you feel like a god at silverstone taking the trickiest corner at about 2 mph faster than your tin top m3,:thumbs:Oh and the brakes are slightly larger so disipitate heat slightly better,and they hate getting dirty the car i mean.

:hahaha: I wondered if you would surface, that's where your wrong though - you should treat yours like a filthy whore when it comes out the garage. Polish is for girls :gayfight: 2mph around the whole track would be a reasonable difference though

The CSL feels very different and comparing stock for stock they work very differently on track BUT if you are prepared to modify your M3 you can improve it quite alot more than we can improve the CSL making them much closer in performance BUT not many will add the all important airbox, cams or suspension components that make it work so well.

The sound is hard to replicate for sure.

Yes that's what I was thinking, I can close the gap as such. I know you say replicate but I don't want to achieve the sound as I know I can't, I just want to see how close I can come to the real world performance round a track as the CSL. However I don't want to spend anywhere near the difference between the two cars getting there. Hence the small list of proper modifications.

Keep them coming

[monkeycsl]

You proved your m3 was quicker than a 500 hp m5 with worn tyres and mega slippery track, I think buy csl for great looks rarity value nice carbon bits sound of course the sound is what keeps me hooked the nice duck tail spoiler feels nice when polishing:gayfight: the thin glass back window special suspension changes spring and damper rates set perfectly for the ring the whole package really, it wont be night and day difference to yours but believe me you wont regret it just keep it clean to treat it mean.:thumbs:

[The Animal]

An M3 remaped alpha n and gearbox software, air box with properly sorted Intrax and sticky rubber with a light exhaust system will be quicker then a standard csl

[s.mac]

I've had both the M3 smg and the csl. I dont think you can compare them. Yes you can mod the M3, as I did, but the driving experience is totally different. They handle differently, sound differently they are so different. Until you actually drive one you wont understand or believe the difference. I DIDN'T

[monkeycsl]

How come alpha mapping, airbox csl has cup tyres csl has sorted suspension csl has csl is lighter has uprated cams ect you would need to do more to make standard m3 quicker me thinks.:smokin:

[s.mac]

An M3 remaped alpha n and gearbox software, air box with properly sorted Intrax and sticky rubber with a light exhaust system will be quicker then a standard csl

this is soooo dependant on the driver IMHO

[monkeycsl]

this is soooo dependant on the driver IMHO

Very true :supz:

[The Animal]

we wernt talking about the driver we were talking about the car properly set up intrax will generate way more mechanical grip then a CSL. The chassis is identical so are all the pick up points if you spend 6K wisely on an M3 it will be quicker then a csl
drop the weight out seats etc as well. roll bars suspension and some other stuff job done.

[Steviebee]

Just my 2p's worth and not a dig at M3 owners in anyway...

I would push a 10k M3 with 4-5ks worth of mods MUCH harder than a 25 - 28k CSL round a track. Its not just the value - its getting another good CSL! You would have to spend days traveling all over, where as an M3 can be sourced much easier.

I was on KH at the same time as a lad in a 8k M3 with rock solid suspension and slicks and I could get no where near!!

It was my first time out in the car, but he was attacking corners like there was no tomorrow!

Oh, an it arrived on a trailer - I was driving home and going to work in it the next day :whistle:

Stevie

[shane@mbtech]

If you are creating a track only car that can drive too and from tracks. Buy an M3

If you want a better road/track car without sacrificial mods, but still be fast, buy a CSL.


Just remember anything you can fit to an M3 can be fitted to an already better base car, a CSL.

You already know the answer to your questions.

[funtime]

Just my 2p's worth and not a dig at M3 owners in anyway...

I would push a 10k M3 with 4-5ks worth of mods MUCH harder than a 25 - 28k CSL round a track. Its not just the value - its getting another good CSL! You would have to spend days traveling all over, where as an M3 can be sourced much easier.

I was on KH at the same time as a lad in a 8k M3 with rock solid suspension and slicks and I could get no where near!!

It was my first time out in the car, but he was attacking corners like there was no tomorrow!

Oh, an it arrived on a trailer - I was driving home and going to work in it the next day :whistle:

Stevie

You raise a very good point and of course it's not a dig at M3 owners, however to be honest as soon as I'm on a track the value of my car escapes my mind and always has done. Bottom line is, everyones car is their pride and joy, no matter how much it's worth.

I've never held back on track no matter how much the car has been worth but I totally see your point as a lot of people worry about binning it, I just try and get round as quick as I can.

It sounds by the general comments that more of the focus about the CSL is the feel of the whole car and the capability out of the box as opposed to a standard M3. However, you pay a premium for this, and all I am trying to figure out is if I will get any real benefit round a track from a CSL over my M3 once I've spent some money improving it, besides it feeling more 'special'.

Decisions decisions...

[s.mac]

we wernt talking about the driver we were talking about the car properly set up intrax will generate way more mechanical grip then a CSL. The chassis is identical so are all the pick up points if you spend 6K wisely on an M3 it will be quicker then a csl
drop the weight out seats etc as well. roll bars suspension and some other stuff job done.

I'm not technical enough to agree or disagree

would I go back to an E46 M3 smg and spend 6k on it to see if I could get it running better than a standard CSL and pocket the difference

no