BMW
3.0 CSL 3.2 "Batmobile"

Why it matters

The 3.2-litre 'Batmobile' was the final homologation form of the 3.0 CSL, the car that launched BMW Motorsport and first wore the M stripes. Its wing package and enlarged engine were homologated for European Touring Car racing with only 167 road cars.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The Batmobile was built in two batches: 110 cars from July to October 1973, offered only in Polaris silver or Chamonix white, and 57 from January 1974 to October 1975 in any factory colour. All were left-hand drive, with a 3,153 cc fuel-injected six and an aero kit of front splitters, roof spoiler and large rear wing. Because the wing was reportedly illegal on German roads, some cars left the factory with it loose for owners to fit.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Genuine Batmobiles are left-hand drive and use a steel boot lid instead of the CSL's aluminium one to carry the wing loads; first-batch cars came only in silver or white, and most second-batch cars have a centre fin on the rear wing. Reproduction aero kits and tribute cars are common, so the body and fitted parts must be checked against known production details.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   What exactly is a BMW 3.0 CSL? – Hagerty UK Level B

   • 167 Batmobiles in two batches (110 + 57)

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   The BMW 3.0 CSL Level A BMW Group PressClub Global · 2022-11-24

   • most powerful straight six-cylinder engine with direct injection ever used in a BMW
   • doors were made of aluminium, as were the bonnet and the boot lid
   • Its unladen weight was just 1,270 kilograms

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   What exactly is a BMW 3.0 CSL? Level B Hagerty UK

   • 3.2 litres (3153cc, 206bhp)
   • with fuel injection
   • 3153cc, 206bhp

   Accessed 2026-11-11