The BMW 3.0 CSi is widely considered to be one of the Bavarian automaker’s most beautiful creations and Playboy Magazine's pick for Car of the Year some 40 years ago. It's probably fair to say its elegant form has held up better than its playmates in the same issue.
BMW has released a video that’s all about the 3.0 CSi, which was first introduced in 1968 as the 2800 CS. The E9-chassis coupe arrived with an elegant body that eschewed the wrap-around headlights of the preceding 2000 CS and the 6-cylinder engine boosted performance significantly over the 4-cylindere model. In 1971, the car evolved into the 3.0 CS, which later spawned the high-performance 3.0 CSi model. Boasting 200hp, the 3.0 CSi’s fuel-injected 3-liter engine was advanced in its day, and made it a competitive racer.
BMW’s is a spiritual ancestor of the modern 6-Series and offered unparalleled visibility, with its wideopen greenhouse. It was also quick for its day, thanks to the fuel-injected straight-six, and was capable 137 mph. A racfing version followed and the 3.0 CSL was campaigned in the European Touring Car Championship throughout the 1970s. A limited run of CSLs were made available to the public for homologation purposes, and will cost you $40K and up in #2 condition today, while one of the 167wild "Batmobiles" will sell for the other side of $200,000..
The E9 set the standard for how a BMW big coupe should look and perform, and left a distinctive mark on the company’s style. It's an interesting subject for a company video and a vital piece of the company’s history. —Paul Duchene
Check out the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_ol9_0T7RY
