From the South East Queensland Correspondent: a BMW E9 CS

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This awesome BMW 3.0 CS (aka E9) - photographed by South East Queensland correspondent PeteR, in response to a 3.0 CSL featured in our recent Noosa Concours d’ Elegance post - has really got my motor running!  But it’s also got me wondering about the hierarchy of the CS line-up … .

The Noosa CSL 
(https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2024/07/noosa-concours-d-elegance-2024-part-2.html).

Here, in précis, is what a bit of googling has revealed:   First, but not lowest in the E9 hierarchy, is 1968’s 2800 CS which, unsurprisingly, features a close enough to 2.8 litre version of BMW’s legendary M30 straight six (2,788 cc, to be exact).  

Next in line is today’s feature car, the 3.0 CS of 1971, with a twin Zenith carburettored version of the M30 and a capacity of 2,986 cc.  Released simultaneously was the 3.0 CSi, which, as you’ve probably guessed, has the same donk but runs fuel injection and is therefore maybe a bee’s penis more desirable.


A year later saw the introduction of the 3.0 CSL, with the L standing for leicht, which is German for light.   But it wasn’t just the not-insubstantial weight saving - approximately 180 kg - that set these homologation specials apart from the slightly lower rung versions; the CSL got an upgrade to 3,003 cc and then, in 1973, a further boost to 3,153 cc.

Arguably, the ultimate expression of the CSL 3.0 was the 3,153 cc powered “Batmobile,” featuring a body kit comprising of a front air dam, splitters along the tops of the front mudguards, a spoiler on the trailing edge of the roof and a large boot-mounted wing.  This variant also hails from ‘73.  


1974 saw BMW’s final but lowest specced iteration of the E9: the 2.5 CS with its more economical 2 1/2 litre M30, the reduced engine size being a direct consequence of the 1973 Oil Crisis.  It would appear that the 2.5 was a limited run; only 874 were built by the end of the E9’s production run in 1975 (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_E9).


Many of you will know that this isn't the end of the development of the E9, with both Alpina and A C Schnitzer building their own highly-regarded versions of the car.  That's a line of enquiry worth pursuing but one that we might pick up in a future post ... .  

Did you enjoy this article?  If so, why not browse the rest of the uppermiddlepetrolhead site?  There are loads and loads of classic, sports and performance vehicles featured, as well as stacks of car shows and motorsports events.  Even better, you can follow either the 'blog itself or do so via Upper Middle Petrol Head's Facebook page.  And please do like and share!




U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au)

Photos by PeteR.


Here’s a short video featuring a faithful replica of the Batmobile that you may also find interesting: https://youtu.be/f2DRCPEQtos?.si=C3-n8WsOS4c2xa5G.



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