{"id":1813,"date":"2019-07-18T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T09:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=1813"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:24:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:24:17","slug":"bmw-e9-3-0-csi-because-theres-to-life-than-a-csl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/bmw-e9-3-0-csi-because-theres-to-life-than-a-csl\/","title":{"rendered":"BMW E9 3.0 CSi – Because there\u2019s more to life than a CSL"},"content":{"rendered":"

BMW first dipped its oily toe into the waters of big coupes with the Bertone-bodied 3200CS of 1962. It was an elegant, yet powerful machine thanks to the inclusion of a V8 engine. However, it wasn\u2019t the car that BMW would use to carry the big coupe theme forward. Instead, BMW went back to the drawing board and penned what it referred to as the New Class coupe. This car would offer more to the coupe buyer, with a selection of engine specification options and trim options. It was still, however, coachbuilt. This time by Karmann rather than Bertone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

The New Class coupe was powered by a 2.0 inline-four engine, longitudinally mounted and powering the rear wheels, as you\u2019d expect from any good BMW! That engine was available with one carb, in which guise it produced 100hp, or with twin carbs and as such, 120hp. Impressive, granted, but not the out and out performance figures you\u2019d hope for. However, the purpose of this car was to showcase the new four-cylinder 2.0 version of the M10 engine that had previously only been seen in saloon cars. This coupe was a flagship for the M10 engine, a display of how the engine could be employed in a sporty capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end though, the 2.0 capacity wasn\u2019t enough, and in 1968 BMW gave us a refreshed and more powerful coupe in the form of the E9. This car was one of the first to carry the face that we would all become so familiar with. Gone were the New Class\u2019 enclosed, rectangular headlights in favour of quad circular lights. Other than that, the lines remained largely the same, despite the car being longer to accommodate the new straight-six engines. Though the pillarless windows and familiar Hoffmeister Kink still remained firmly in place. But given the design was overseen by Wilhelm Hoffmeister, it\u2019d be weird if it wasn\u2019t there!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

The E9 was initially made available as the 2800CS with a 2,788cc straight-six engine that produced 168hp. It was a huge leap forward in terms of performance, but even so, BMW was only getting started. In 1971 the 2800CS was replaced with the 3.0CS and the car you\u2019re looking at here, the 3.0CSi.<\/span><\/p>\n

The capacity was now 2,986cc and in the case of the CS, it was fuelled by twin Zenith carbs. This resulted in a mightily impressive 180hp, but again, BMW wasn\u2019t done. The CSi model had, as the name would suggest, fuel injection care of a Bosch D Jetronic electronic system. This meant there was a mighty 200hp available at 5,500rpm. In the early \u201870s this was an obscene amount of power. Add in the utterly brilliant BMW driving dynamics and it made for a car that drove like no other. The CSi was fast, it could seat four in comfort, it was surprisingly practical, and it was absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Yet now, here in 2019, we overlook this most mighty of machines, and that\u2019s a crying shame.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Why though? That\u2019s the big question. Well, within the arena of classic cars we\u2019re trained to covet the rarest and the most unique of any given model. This means cars that have been homologated get all the glory, while the rest of the range falls by the wayside. Say E9 and someone will almost certainly utter \u201coh, the Batmobile?\u201d. And when they do, they are of course referring to the 3.0 CSL, the homologation special built to satisfy the regs so that BMW could race in the European Touring Car Championship. And yes, the CSL with its aluminium panels, Perspex windows and 3,003cc engine was and still is a wonderful, magnificent, fast and somewhat furious machine. But it\u2019s not the only string to the E9\u2019s bow. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

For those of us who can\u2019t afford the CSL, or who simply can\u2019t find an example of the 1,265 production run car, all is not lost. We have the CSi and that\u2019s a very close second. In fact, that\u2019s not fair, it\u2019s not second, it\u2019s a damn fine car in its own right.<\/span><\/p>\n

BMW, despite participating in the meteoric rise of the SUV, has always been a machine that has had big love for the coupe. We\u2019ve had the 3, 4, 6 and 8 Series Coupes. The former two of which serve to really show BMW\u2019s love for the coupe, as the 3 and 4 aren\u2019t simple two-door versions of four-door cars. They\u2019re restyled to better suit the minimal number of doors. There\u2019s thought here. And it\u2019s thought, care and detail that all flows back to cars like the E9. And to have an E9 and enjoy it, you don\u2019t need to have the CSL. A CS or CSi is just fine, and given you\u2019re more likely to find one, that\u2019s good.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

If you do buy one, you\u2019re in for a real treat. The CSi still feels tight and composed, even by modern standards. The steering is pleasingly direct, the brakes are well-suited to the E9\u2019s heft and the suspension does a grand job of keeping things under control without feeling the need to smash your teeth out every time you hit a bump. The fuel-injected engine, despite being from 1971, is remarkably compliant and keen in modern traffic. The only caveat to offer would be to say that without any electronic aids, the E9 can be a bit tail happy in wet or slippery conditions, so that\u2019s something to watch out for.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Another thing to watch out for is the E9\u2019s nasty rust habit. These cars were, make no mistake, well built. However, in doing so, BMW engineered in all manner of traps in which water could sit. As such, if you\u2019re going to look at an E9, be thorough and take your time. The floors, the bulkhead, the roof, the bottoms of the windows, the panel edges, the sills and valances, all of it can and will rust if not looked after. And remember, you\u2019re not just looking for rust, you\u2019re looking for poor quality repairs from a previous life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Find a solid one though, one with history and one without any problems, and you\u2019ll be glad you did. The E9 3.0CSi is the perfect mix of classic looks, but with a driveability that is modern and welcoming. This is a classic you can own and drive without hesitation or even a longstanding love for classic cars. It would welcome anyone behind the steering wheel, and once behind that wheel, you\u2019ll be glad it did.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tempted by the elegance and persuaded by the power? Here’s where you can find a BMW E9 for sale<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BMW first dipped its oily toe into the waters of big coupes with the Bertone-bodied 3200CS of 1962. It was an elegant, yet powerful machine thanks to the inclusion of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":1825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[2],"tags":[645,15,45,644,648,647,643,12,13,11,646,14,362,16],"yoast_head":"\nBMW E9 3.0 CSi - Because there\u2019s more to life than a CSL -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you think of an E9 BMW you naturally think of the race cars and of course, the mighty homologation CSL. 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