BMW M3 CSL manual conversion. Could this be peak M3? 

No you wouldn’t

@@steved2008 Having driven both the E46 is WAY better to drive. The M4 is way quicker but it's so dull, the steering feel is nonexistent and it masks it's speed so well you need to be doing 120+ to start having fun. There's a reason so many journalists have said the E46 era were the last good BMWs.

Couldn't agree more. This car is a superb driver focussed-machine. No nonesense ultimate coupe.

A f80 m3 manual is an wonderful thing that very few really know about, as are m4 (even tho they are uglier).

@@Ze-Germanzuk well put it in mdm, you will know how fast you are going quite quickly.

It was 1961 when my father, as a sixteen year old boy, grabbed his bike and went east. Together with a good friend, who sadly just passed away, he made it al the way to Hamburg, where he parked his biked in the Reeperbahn. It was then, round this time of year, he saw them perform. He vividly recounts the way Stu was the odd one out. Thank you for sharing. I just watched this with him and it brought tears to his eyes.

Holy shit! Another Nigerian car guy!!

@@samplechannel2fiyd5idjfufjfud Not funny. He’s Eloquently written & shared his short story in perfect English and you decide to go full, low bar education & racist. Great 👍🏽

@@samplechannel2fiyd5idjfufjfud I'm probably richer than you, if you weren't rude I would've sent you some oil money 💸.

@@golfplaat2 a touching story

Don’t agree ... to me looks outdated and 90s

Its timeless

lol

The best looking bmw in my opinion.

@@marksmithard7801 Agree

Couldn't agree more. The E46 is simple, sleek, well proportioned and elegant. I've been told that the tastes of the Chinese middle class have obliged BMW to slap giant buck-toothed kidney grilles on all their new cars, but it seems to me that the rot started with Chris Bangle and his bizarre fake-eyelashes front ends and slash-cut boot lids aesthetic.

Agreed. I think the E90 LCI is the last good looking 3 series.

They were a bit dull

@R A The E46 was in production by 1997, and Bangle didn't join BMW until late 1999. Maybe he added that little semi-circle to the headlights but he had absolutely nothing to do with the car's shape.

Not really, you are only being nostalgic, it's common for human to look back and have nostalgia for something. I love this csl too, but new m3 really isn't crap, that's bold statement.

The proportions of all E46 3 series are just perfect imo. The right height, length and width. Perfect sized kidney grilles, enough space for driver and passenger. You don't sit too high up, the dash doesn't consume the interoir. If someone wanted a bigger sized BMW, then that person would buy a 5 series or a 3 series touring. The 3 series is not supposed to be a big car, yet the current one is. Sigh.

What’s important to understand is in the North American market, ‘white BMWs’, namely the 3-series, became somewhat of a cultural icon for millennials and Gen Zers. I got a puncture one day and pulled into a tire shop to see two identical white BMWs parked next to each other and noticed they had been debadged. I made a half-joking comment to the associate and asked what version they were (thinking maybe a 330is or something). He replied he didn’t know, the other belonged to his brother and when he had asked him to procure one for himself, his only requirements were white BMW 3-Series. Needless to say, this new crop of buyers really don’t care about the mechanics and are probably the exact same person to complain about a lack of sound deadening and don’t even know what ‘augmented engine noise’ even is. What we are seeing today is the byproduct of those buyers, albeit on a 5-year delay. What I do find somewhat ironic however is those same buyers are largely shifting over to Mercedes because the short-term popularity of BMWs made them so ubiquitous they lost their brand caché. That, and Mercedes interiors are leagues ahead of BMW which is what these thirsty, social-media gratification-seeking generations are all about. Unfortunate for us ‘older’ enthusiasts who remember BMW as ‘the ultimate driving machine’, it’s going to take another 5-years at minimum for BMW to recognize it’s market position downgrade and shift back toward their core ethos before the consumers see a new vehicle close to what BMWs used to be. If ever.

The new styling and other shit I think is for younger newer customers, which tend to be their demographic. At the price of exclusivity and handling. HP and brand sells

When I park my E28 next to a current 3 series, it’s like I am parked next to the fat, ugly, older sister. Parked next to a current 5 series it’s like I am parked next to a barge or a tug boat.

@@23Piccolina indeed the Gulia is the better M3 sedan

Indeed. Such a gentleman !

Me too

Didn't the M2 CS come out like, last year? So melodramatic

Seriously. Those were a joy to drive. Today, meh

Last great bmw was in the 40s. Nowadays the cars suck.. With their airbags and doors.

Speak for yourself

My 2001 328 is my daily drive. 200 000 km on the clock and still puts a smile on my face. Body , interior and engine still superb after 20 years. She looks and drives a treat.

In fairness while this was 243lb lighter than the standard - the E90 GTS had 10% more literage and a cage but managed a 300lb reduction - the F83 M4 GTS however was 'only 60lb lighter than the standard coupe. I'm interested to see what they do with the latest M4 but honestly in many ways the car has fallen out of appeal for me - guess I'm getting old.

"I know i'm in the minority for saying this but most 'car enthusiasts' only seem to care about horsepower figures and carwow dragraces, so the beancounters at these manufacturers would hardly see the appeal of bringing out a car like this ever again. " I agree but there is also another reason why we don't see cars like that again. BMW build cars for people that buys them, not their fans. Since '00 there is a big change in sports and supercars: cars needs to go fast without asking too much from the driver. You don't sell cars that are hard and/or uncomfortable to drive.

You’re the sort of person I’d enjoy talking about cars with at a pub in the middle of a Sunday run. Don’t get me wrong, power is great but, there is so so much more to a good car. When you can’t rev the car out and enjoy it, it becomes a tad pointless on the roads actually. Look up PandaForceOne for some M3 CSL POV videos on some European mountain passes. Damn I’d love one of these after watching those videos.

M2 CS

@@colinpaton3770 Are you serious? The S55 is one of the worst sounding 6 cylinders ever made, why would you ever compare it to one of the best sounding 6 cylinders ever made? M2 CS weighs 1536+kg and the M3 CSL weighs 1380+kg. If you know anything about driving, that 150kg weight difference is very noticeable.

I miss my e46 m3

Yeah, lust after repair bills.

@@fiouable LOL have fun with your Corolla

@@bradcomis1066 😂😂😂

E38, E39, E46 and others from this time period are just about perfect.

@R A The arrogance of boy racers is breathtaking. Your self awarded title of 'driver's car' is equally arrogant. There are many ways to enjoy and drive cars. I have no interest in cars like this that beta males race between the traffic lights to hopefully boost their fragile egos. Who cares how fast it is? What does it matter?

Both old and new give me smiles. It’s a different type of smile.

Think he mentioned in a different video that it might be the mic

I love the sound of GSM interference. The only thing better is the sound of L-band radar on the handheld microphone of a CNN reporter on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Cheers.

Don't apologize.

King shit

This is your boss. Get back to work.

Ha! 👌

You don't need help, marte. You're alright

What do you mean that it doesn't anymore!? M still means motorsport and every m3/4 is worth it

@@martinkulik9466 what he means is that they put the m badge on almost every model. look 240i M, 340i M etc. its more M for marketing....

@@duncanidaho7494 much worse, X2 118i "M-package" lol.

@@RD19902010 that’s just trim level

Loll, correct. Seen through glass was young and foolish at that time and has since corrected the error of his ways re M3 CSL etc

I recall that video. Simply disgraceful.

BMW were building better cars than Lambo/Ferrari back then

True, Adam :)

That's why I recurrently return here, of course: Brit'sh understating enthusiasm.

I had an e46 330i with a loose baffle in the exhaust that sounded pretty damn close to a CSL when cruising at a particular engine speed with the windows down. Was chuffed when I discovered it and any plans to replace said faulty exhaust were binned!

SMG is definitely over hated for no reason and was because of people just copying each other’s opinions.

Don't forget the NSX, which the F1 based its sound on (I think...)

Yes! Thank you video games!

The F1 was a BMW engine also.

basicly the F1 is a double i6 m3 CSL engine but older and lighter

@@adpmol You're exactly right. I looked into it. Half an F1 engine!

You're not selling the family life to me with this comment 😂

@@cameronmmj9291 HaHa!!! Not sure how old you are but kids change you. The CSL is a distant memory now, but I have recently bought a Ducati... WTF!

@@cameronmmj9291 I've got two kids, a M3 and sportsbike. I'm lucky enough to have 4 babies

@@jms211 2 kids and 3 Ducatis here :)

1 kid, 1 more on the way, A Ducati and a diesel Renault Mégane 🤣

I absolutely love the sound but I still prefer the smooth, distinct purr of the 90's NSX

Idk man the 4.2 in my trailblazer sounds pretty nice

They do sound good, but I prefer a 1jz Gte I am biased though 😉

@@mikaelgaspar9547 Yep, agreed about the Porsche. @chappy2121 I'm biased to the NSX also.

I love the E46 M3 CSL. It's my all time favourite BMW car. But with regards to sound, it's only the induction noise that I like. The exhaust sound is tinny, raspy and hollow. Not so nice to hear. I know the price difference is astronomical, but the current Ford GT is imo the best sounding 6 cylinder OEM car.

The linkage is notchy, not the gearbox. It's a BMW trait but still nice gear changes.

They probably replaced bushes and that will give you a nice new notchy feel.

Should get one of these to do some driving lessons in...

@@jackdpaul Haha, when I had my Z4M I think 17mpg. I'd have to put my prices up 😄

FYI - there's a podcast featuring Chris Harris and Needell, and Harris and Metcalfe. Collecting cars podcast 👍

They could talk farms if there was a lull in the proceedings.

@@energymc22 the Chris Harris podcast is fantastic. Nicky grist was an amazing interview

yeah, ive never seen a review of the M3 CSL before. Except for the other ones.

until the e90 they really were the ultimate driving machines

still are the ultimate driving machine:)

@@ayookusanya5437 Hmm... X4M for example? Are you sure. Then the BMW XM takes the cake -- the celebration of 50 years of M-cars being a two-tonne 700hp SUV, what's going on there?

Where’ve you been? 😂😂

@@2702simmo These CSL’s are going to be £100k cars in the not too distant future. They could charge what they like for one of these conversions. Edit: Although maybe you thought I was talking about the car price?😆

For the conversion? The gearbox is the same between the SMG and manual cars, just the shifter and hydraulics are different. The manual stuff all bolts up to the SMG box, about the worst of it is welding the bracket to hold the rear of the shifter assembly in place. Unfortunately as Harry found out that six speed is a notchy affair especially when cold.

@@jaglemans6778 I did 😂😂

@@az................. I always preferred my smg e46 M3 to the manual , far better when pushing on particularly with the CSL software uploaded

I agree! I did the CSL flash to the software on mine too and I have to say its a major improvement - shame they didn't flash all the cars because it makes all the difference.

Intake yes . Exhaust. No

I wouldn’t agree, I’ve owned and driven a few. There are better engines out there..

but only from 5k upwards. below that it is anonymous.

100%

Did 42k miles in mine over 2 years I’d totally agree Personally loved the exhaust note from a driving perspective better than the dull E92 M3 that followed it

Harry, with all due respect...ditch the Lancia when done to get this ASAP!!

@@douglasjames4905 totally different cars. Both are worth having- keep both.

It's not that simple on an E60/1 M5. Massive undertaking. The wiring harness and countless modules need replacing and tricky reprogramming of all. Plus, you need another gearbox, the SMG can't be converted.

I know that. I have spent many hours planning my fantasy garage. Harry does say towards the end of the video though that the garage that did this conversion is doing an E60 too, presumably following the steps you outline

Just buy a us car

@@Shabbe02 True. But wrong side of the road!

That’s the closest M car you’ll get to an M3 CSL from bmw today.

Yeah, it seems it had it's nose scuffed. Sad to see such car suffering from such a shoddy paint job. Raises the question how well the rest of it is...

So true.

I really hate how people forgive bad designs just because they're used to it and it's been out a few months. Doesn't mean it's not fucking hideous and that's why we keep getting ugly modern cars!

audis new electric car is absolutely gorgeous. hopefully they have the brains to stick the r8 engine in it.

It's the matrix. The more you pay attention to these "coincidences" the more you will see this in all areas of life.

Play the lottery!

It's a sign. Go get it champ!

There are no conspiracies. We're watching you....

Apart from the physical pedal all the other linkages are there, just blanked off. I have seen a conversion of a M3 SMG on wheeler dealers and it was quite a straightforward process

A slave cylinder, remove the smg pump and fit the stick. Pedal is just plug and play from any e46. Quick coding with suiteable program, for example ncs expert Wouldn't be surprised if you can do in around half a day

@@paulgreenhill8368 Don't go by what you see on TV. They either make stuff look easier than it is, to show how studly they are, or make it look difficult to add "drama". The conversion isn't terrible, but it's not cheap. You actually have to remove the transmission and get some machining done on the case. A friend of mine had it done 'cause the SMG pump was failing, and it was almost the same cost to swap it to manual as it would have been to fix the SMG stuff. About $3000 US including labor, IIRC. If you can find a manual box, it's easier, but they're getting thin on the ground. What's funny is removing the paddles would have added a couple of hundred more to the price, so he left them in, and they don't do anything.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1Uz6vnqE2cc.html

@@AndySmallbone What a shame. Hurt my feelings just watching it unfold. Hopefully all sorted out now.

Yeah, me too. Makes the car in my opinion.. 👍

i loved mine too, but reliability was an issue with it. it was also very finicky, i had to be cautious driving it on really hot days because it might act up, get sluggish and even drop out of gear sometimes. keep in mind it did this for the about 7 years and would always work perfectly on cooler days. also seemed to act up sometimes when id be stuck in traffic.

I think of it more like the Mclaren F1 engine is two S54 engines in a V configuration because well it kindof was that.

Yep but it’s a seat out job to change - but confirm it can be done. They are on usual motorsport type seat brackets under the side panels.

@@romanholidaycandybat it’s not seat out. I’ve got one and done it - very very quick easy job. Seat in.

@@MC968CS could not work out for the life of me how to do it in situ! Next time I’ll give it a go in place.

That's ridiculous amounts of proper BMW for the money, well done!

I've had a Manual 328Ci since 2002, not as fast as M3 but much cheaper to maintain and that straight six NA wail is awesome

I couldn't possibly agree more. What's the point of "luxurious" interior in an M3? What's the point of almost 2 tons in weight? What's the point of an auto gearbox? What is so important about 0-60 & quarter mile times? The enthusiast's car should be about involvement and driver-car interaction, all else is folly.

There's a distinct smell of, "When I was boy, cars were made of _steel_ , and built for _men_ " wafting from your comment. 🤨

Essentially half a f1 engine,they share a lot of components. Both built by BMW motorsport.And how much is one of those.....?

Suggest you do it and without hesitation..

@@harrysgarage Thanks for the great advice I'll try and hide the cost from my wife

E92 also epic. Downward spiral after e92

@@johncreedon7847 e92s were nice but they kind of lost a bit of the soul that made the previous M3 generations legendary. The E46 was and will forever be the most truest iteration of the ultimate driving machine

@@kenxiong6830 yes i love the engine in those and they can be modded to look really good, but something about them just doesnt do it for me. seems too big and the interior/seats are pretty bad.

Don't encourage him, he'll start tapping at it with his magnet tool like a crazed woodpecker...

It’s essentially half a McLaren F1 engine.

I have an '05, which I bought in '08; I still have it and it now has 215,000 miles on the clock. I'm still using the original clutch! Never had the heads off it, and amazingly enough, I've never had to touch the AC in the car, meaning it's still on the factory charge of freon when it rolled out of the plant. These cars are perfect for long term ownership proposition. There is minimal electronics, hardly no delicate LCD displays, and the engine is simple. There's no turbos to complicate matters and the E46 only has one radiator. I just love my old car!

In the wet, dsb off, tsc off. So much fun!!

@@civiere Rapped around a tree, so much fun !😂😂😂

@@garethjudd5840 restraint is key. Know your limit. Most go wrong on brake distance, start reasonable and learn how to handle a monster like that. Then turn off dsc/tsc and again know your limit. Fyi, never wrecked one (knock on wood) have seen a ditch or 2... 3 GL! Edit: location, location, location...

@@civiere good luck!

What rubbish The Z4M didn’t have the CAL engine!?

are they twice as rigid as the e46?

@@Speedwelltuning it did have the csl engine

The Z4 M got the engine from the regular M3 as the special CSL intake system would not fit. But, yes, it did had hydraulic steering (from the M3) unlike the regular Z4.

CSL engine had different cams, intake and maping to standard m3, m3 cs and Z4m. Stretching the term engine but it also had a different exhaust to the regular M cars. Z4m did share the revised front brakes of the CSL, but the engine was regular m3 spec and ran the same power circa 343hp not the CSLs 360. You could however easily add the airbox and map to the z4m and get CSL power and noise :)

Same engine note as well

@@after_midnight9592 practically the same engine design, just half the cylinders.

Hey, this is more NSX than Accord, which is more like E30 sound haha...

Hmm- the induction is totally different- 4 pot vs 6. Admittedly a singing H22 or B18C is as good as a 4 pot gets

Yes I'd agree with the NSX comparison.

The CSL has a nice bellow, yet it's hard to beat the banshee wail of a honda VTEC approaching 9000rpm.