BMW 3.0 CSI £120k restoration !

The BMW E9 needs no introduction, as one of the most successful racers of all time in 3.0csl guise, that gorgeous silhouette just has to be one of the prettiest coupes of all time. A perfectly resolved design, with subtle and clean lines – an art form long lost, unfortunately. A very early pillarless design means that with the front and rear windows down, you can still have the cleanest of lines even in the summer too, they thought of everything. BMW’s strongest era of design language shines through without being grotesque, the kidney grilles, twin lamps and of course the Hoffmeister kink, all in perfect proportions.


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This particular example looks very well, all thanks to a very thorough restoration that has been undertaken by the current owner to the tune of £120k! But up close it really does show. A full body restoration, the full interior with upgraded leather was carried out by the best of the best – SM trimming, an up-rated and rebuilt engine & 5 speed gearbox, uprated differential, rebuilt brakes and upgraded suspension and means that this csi is not only as fast (if not faster) than a csl, but it looks incredible. Even the smell of the new leather interior is so sumptuous.



So, what’s it like to drive then after all of this work? Incredible, in a word. The car starts every turn of the key, thanks to the modern Emerald ECU, Jenvey throttle bodies and WOSP starter. It has a nice raspy sound that isn’t normal from an M30 engine, but is a welcome addition that clearly shows its purpose. The engine is a later 3.4 litre unit from a 635csi, so it has more torque and power naturally; but that wasn’t enough, we have a Schrick cam, gas flowed head and around 230bhp on tap, all put to the road via a 5-speed box and a custom LSD, so the car really does go, the Bilstein shocks and custom springs keep the body in check and the brakes are fully rebuilt and slow the car down every bit as well as it goes. In the corners, the steering through the Nardi wheel is sublime, smooth feedback and with superb accuracy. This is an unbelievably well put together car.

Even the most adept driver will appreciate the attention to detail in this build, a lightened flywheel makes rev matching a pleasure. Even the glass is so clear and well-polished you can easily hit every apex in sight. The body is ceramic coated, the underside Lanogaurded. It is really to go and use – can you think of a better way to get to Le Mans this year / do a Euro trip? The full stainless exhaust just makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable. The perfect BMW resto-mod. If this was an Alfa 105 Coupe, it would be £150k or more, so this makes it somewhat of a bargain, as a lot less E9’s have been upgraded in the same way as the 105 coupes, what a great alternative!

The BMW E9 needs no introduction, as one of the most successful racers of all time in 3.0csl guise, that gorgeous silhouette just has to be one of the prettiest coupes of all time. A perfectly resolved design, with subtle and clean lines – an art form long lost unfortunately. A very early pillarless design means that with the front and rear windows down, you can still have the cleanest of lines even in the summer too, they thought of everything. BMW’s strongest era of design language shines through without being grotesque, the kidney grilles, twin lamps and of course the Hoffmeister kink, all in perfect proportions.

This particular example looks very well, all thanks to a very thorough restoration that has been undertaken by the current owner to the tune of £120k! But up close it really does show. A full body restoration, the full interior with upgraded leather was carried out by the best of the best – SM trimming, an up-rated and rebuilt engine & 5 speed gearbox, uprated differential, rebuilt brakes and upgraded suspension and means that this csi is not only as fast (if not faster) than a csl, but it looks incredible. Even the smell of the new leather interior is so sumptuous.


So, what’s it like to drive then after all of this work? Incredible, in a word. The car starts every turn of the key, thanks to the modern Emerald ECU, Jenvey throttle bodies and WOSP starter. It has a nice raspy sound that isn’t normal from an M30 engine, but is a welcome addition that clearly shows its purpose. The engine is a later 3.4 litre unit from a 635csi, so it has more torque and power naturally; but that wasn’t enough, we have a Schrick cam, gas flowed head and around 230bhp on tap, all put to the road via a 5-speed box and a custom LSD, so the car really does go, the Bilstein shocks and custom springs keep the body in check and the brakes are fully rebuilt and slow the car down every bit as well as it goes. In the corners the steering through the Nardi wheel is sublime, smooth feedback and with superb accuracy. This is an unbelievably well-put-together car.