BMW E46 M3 CSL - CONVERTED TO MANUAL! | Carfection 4K
2020 ж. 29 Нау.
352 583 Рет қаралды
Henry Catchpole drives a manual converted M3 CSL and talks to the guys behind it. Should it have always left the factory this way?
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Do you think putting a manual gearbox in this legendary car was a good idea?
Yes.
Made for each-other.
definitely.
I would prefer a modern double clutch automatic.
This is how this car should have been in the first place. Changing it now though, will have an impact in its collectible value.
Made by a British bloke, in a shed, with a cup of tea. Classic.
Converting a CSL to manual Step 1: Put the kettle on.
*BAD OBSESSION MOTORSPORT INTENSIFIES*
Recipe for every British sports car
How many German engineering hours were wasted on the SMG2, where they could just do this...
@@after_midnight9592 And money wasted replacing expensive transmissions instead of doing simpler, cheaper clutch jobs.
This is what the E46 M3 CSL should have been in the first place! Enough said.
Imagine if they had 6 speeds from factory, they all would be worth 200.000 Euro now
Agreed!
What an epic conversion. The CSL is a masterpiece
A 142,000 mile E46 M3 CSL, that's proper. Forget all the ones locked in collections with 3,000 miles on them, this is the best one!
thatguy11 It’s exactly how cars should be owned, more miles adds to the story 👍
The perfect BMW doesn't exist, it can't hurt you. This M3:
This M3: Hold my transmission
Hold my catchcan
Hold my subframe
That car looks so happy after being converted to Manual.
😂😂😂
Hell yeah like aTranny post OP
Had No idea the CSL never had a manual option. Looks like you couldn’t have got a better guy to put a manual in it. Amazing work and nice story carfection.
American version.
@@anotae America never got the CSL so no, you're wrong
SMG = faster than any human can shift a gear. That's why the system was installed in the CSL. Putting a manual on it would be handicapping it for its famed Nurburgring time.
@@HalJurgensen Ever drove one? You'll notice the SMG system sucks dick. Gear changes become 'choppy', it's bearable.. But, i'm gonna be slapping a manual in mine too.
i was shocked when i researched recently about the csl, that it never came with a manual. i always thought that the csl is manual only
With manual gearbox, this car can age with dignity. I think this conversion is a brilliant idea.
And age like wine.
Dont forget, the CSL is the lighter than a normal M3, but after that conversion it is a lot more lighter, which means more fun :D Best conversion ever done nice job.
6MT & a 4.1 diff on a CSL, I’ll have a cup of tea as well. Stay safe everyone 🍵
The E46 M3 CSL with the manual gearbox is perfection Props to the owner for doing this swap🙌
I love that the guy drive it and not just keep it as a garage queen
No one in their right mind would take the smg over a manual. If they made a manual csl, all the smg versions would not hold value
It's all personal preference. If you want the fastest version get the smg..just like any modern day sports cars nowadays.
@@stithis Not so sure the SMG was actually faster. The small amount of time saved with shift changes probably isn't enough to offset the weight around a track. The 6 spd manual Camaro ss was actually faster than the 10 spd auto around a track
@@DECKSETTER_ it takes 80 milliseconds to shift from gear to gear in s6 mode on CSL software smg...the f430 f1 paddle shift shifts in 150 milliseconds. This ain't a typical automatic transmission. What people forget is that the SMG is actually the same exact 6spd transmission as the manual optioned one, it's just one has a small hydraulic system to press the clutch for you in a split second. SMG is wayyy underappreciated. And it's sad to see it gone in this original CSL.
@@DECKSETTER_ and it's only roughly about 18lbs heavier...
@@stithis I knew that there's almost no difference between the two. The problem is the SMG is prone to breaking, terrible to drive on the road, and not nearly as fun as a manual. Even a dual clutch or modern auto makes the SMG look bad. There's a reason people prefer the manual over SMG so heavily. If anything the swap added value to the car haha
Never been a big BMW fan, but this car, with the manual and shorter final drive, is absolutely a dream car of mine. It's the perfect all around enthusiasts daily driver
I think the conversion is perfect! Also, the benefit of a lower geared differential in these cars cannot be underestimated. It was the single best change I made to my old E46 M3, and it was one of the first things I did to my current E92 M3. It feels like you’ve added about 10-15% to the torque on these N/A M-car engines
Which ratio did you select on your e92 M3? 4.10? 4.44? I'm considering the same after the experience I had with my z3m and its 3. 64 diff 😉
Does it leave the engine sitting at higher RPM's at, say, 70-80mph?
They become so much better when you stop caring about comfortably doing autobahn speeds
That CSL does sound a bit like the McLaren F1, love it!!
///M POWER
The e36/46 3.2l ‘6 is essentially the McLaren F1 V12 cut in half. I had a e36 Evo with a Dave F induction kit. On full chat it sounded downright evil.
Chris Mcintosh i had also a 3.2 evo 321 hp The half of McLaren with The golden engine
@@JelloTR It is nothing like. The F1 was a custom built thing,with a MASSIVE difference in valve clearance and headflow.
@@JelloTR how the he'll is a straight 6 ANYTHING like V12?
Doing exactly this has always been my dream. If I ever win the lottery I'm instantly buying a E46 CSL and a F360 Challenge Stradale and both convert them to manual.
I would combine the two. Homemade M3 GTR
A year in and I´m still watching this once a week.
I still enjoy remembering the M3 i had. Great conversion. May be one day I can afford the one plus the conversion. Will be on the My Wish List!
Me: Shut up and take my money Bank: Error Me: Time to sell my organs
Body: Error
@@raghavsundar8253 Body _sees this M3 CSL_ : Yes please, we can work just fine without a kidney or two.....
you know you could just steal other people's organs and make way more money and get more bmws
@@arjun._.bbC6 You can actually live with just one kidney just fine. You could become a kidney donor.
@Chaminda Thushara Ruwan Kasturi clever boy! Go buy some crypto right now
Love the thought, research, and production that goes into these videos. Many thanks.
Loved the courage of the owner and the skill of the mechanical engineer. Great story and review.
Smashing entertainment and such easy going understatement from the engineers/ hobbyists. Thank you!
Another brilliant vid Henry! The best M3 IMO and made more engaging to drive makes it even better! 👍
My boss in my previous company actually imported a CSL from they UK to Malaysia to use as a daily.
As someone with a manual e46 m3 if I was to change it for a Csl I would have this done. Value is what someone is prepared to pay for it and for this reason I don’t think this would make this car less desirable then the smg. Put the two cars together at 35k I know which one I would walk away with!!!
no you wouldnt. you would drive it for a while and realize its still a fun transmission and save yourself the $5k for the swap that is going to knock $20k off the value of the car.
@@AC-wl7ve 🤦♂️ no clue
@@ArtVandelayOfficial ive had an smg and i now have a manual. the manual is fun, but it is not better to the point i would mutilate a legendary csl to get it. i doubt you've ever driven an smg so you wont know that it is miles better than the reputation it has. i actually prefer it to the dct as it feels much more raw and analog.
@@AC-wl7ve Mate I've driven an SMG and it's a bag of wank it's gearbox you have to drive around to extract decent performance unlike a manual. It is slow dimwitted and whenever you change up gives you massive slap in the back which is just unnecessary. It is probably the very peak of the useless automatic gearboxes you got in the early 2000s. Unlike a manual wherein you can gear it to always be in the right gear right time and if you are good it's as smooth as butter. I also don't think the owner in this video is going to sell it anytime soon and it's value isn't going anywhere with near on 150k miles on the clock.
@@ja2688 you either drove it once and you had no idea how to drive it (took me probably a month before I was effortlessly smooth with it) or you drove one that was tired and on it’s way out the door ( I test drove one that was absolutely brutal.) mine was very good and i could easily extract more performance from the car than I could ever do myself with a stick. The gearbox on the manual isn’t the best either. It’s rubbery and does not like to be rushed. Regardless I love both.
Bigger problem than the conversion itself is actually finding a CSL for sale with that kind of mileage for a reasonable amount of money. Never seen or heard of one with more than 120k miles on it until now.
The sound is amazing. Love it.
I see carfection, i see the e46 M3 csl m/t!, i see henry. Perfection.
Now this is perfection! 😍 it would be cool to see someone swap a manual trans into an M4 GTS as well.
Exactly what this machine needed!!
Darragh has absolutely smashed it with this build! Well done dude, once again
One of the best induction/exhaust sounds ever
Now that's BMW perfection.
Your a real car enthusiast, love your work
I like the way you explain driving any car ,keep up the good job ,you do your job in a way any one can understand even if they do not drive ,thanks.
lol nice to see darah again . he was a good chap helping our litle race team . very nice chap good humor
Great insights to a legend Henry
Well done Catchpole! Some more please?
Brilliant work. All the best with your venture.
Very cool. Pretty sure I saw this at Caffeine & Machine last summer (there can’t be too many high mileage CSL’s converted to manual). Still one of my favourite M cars; it’s so pretty, well proportioned and makes a glorious noise.
Love love love this car. I’ve got a couple of big jobs that need doing on my manual M3, but I can’t wait to get those out of the way and start the fun stuff, including getting Darragh to change my diff. 👍🏼
Brilliant work! What a fantastic idea and great execution.
I think the E46 M3 was the peak of sports saloons, and the M3 CSL was the cherry on top. Even though BMW didn’t fancy the idea of a manual option for the CSL, it should’ve been an option for customers. 🤔 Oh, one last thing: I do like the E30, E36 & the E92 but I think the E46 is the best all rounder. 👍
But it's not a sports saloon.....
amazing work, dream comes true
E46 M3 might be one of the best proportion cars of all time. From every angle. It stands the test of time. We're talking about a 20 year old shape and it still looks fresh. Not a single awkward angle or curve.
Really happy to see more E46 M3 content! I have thought about selling mine before but come across the same predicament this owner has. I can’t think of a car that will match the amazing all around package the car is.
this is an amazing idea !! why BMW never did this i will never know. i still think this was the last proper m3
Awesome conversion. Sounds like it’s a great drive and completed car
Really admire the passion. Wish my wife saw this...
I've got a standard e46 M3 that I recently bought, I was only looking at a manual and only ever drove manual but after driving the SMG I ended up buying an SMG, just felt more of a beast and feels special with the flappy paddles. Beautiful cars & great fun to drive.
A timeless looking car. Perfection.
Great work guys!
The diff tweak is simple yet sublime.......best modified E46 M3 I've seen.....factory spec upgraded.......love it
Just wait till all those E60 M5 owners see this!! They will be queuing up !! (Great vid 👏🏻👏🏻)!
Love this car. Epic conversion. Best M3 to date
Fantastic job done! 👍
David, Good for you! I had a 125K SMG e46 M3 ZCP in interlagos blue over black. I loved it, but was thinking about switching cars because I need more driving engagement and the SMG was also getting long in the tooth. A Clorado shoppe (BimmerHaus Performance) carefully converted my M3 to a manual and the car I own now was reborn, just like yours.
I drove a full race prepared CSL at Jonathan Palmer race school years ago, what a machine that was. If I’m honest, I don’t ever crave a flappy paddle gearbox but before I’ve even watched the video I’m thinking I was happy that I didn’t have to think about gear changes. It was frantic enough for me.
The regular m3 manual is such a good car this just feels like so much effort for a tiny bit better of a car
It’s good to know converting an SMG to manual is pretty straight forward. Let’s say you find a mint E46 M3 in your Dream spec, But it has SMG... now you can change it. Maybe ad a 3.5 stroker kit overhaul the subframes and you’re golden. 😀🤩
jb001 that’s what most of e46m3 enthusiasts used to always do here in California, many workshops are specialized in doing the swap...costs between $2.5-5k
You are correct Henry because the two pedal box is the three pedal box with a pedal removed. I recently stripped an SMG car to find that
Good on ya lads! Wanted something and got after it. Fair play!
I love my e46, will never get rid of this car🚗🤗 great video as always. Cheers from Northridge CA USA !🇺🇸
Now this is truly The Ultimate Driving Machine 👌🏻
At last
Converting an M3 from SMG to Manual is been done for years.It is actually pretty easy, can retain the original gearbox with few modifications to the bellhousing, clutch assembly and coding.
'Consider clicking on the bell icon. ... it really does help!' ... Damn right it does help... me!. Your videos constitute a true masterclass and I await them like an Irish waits for his whiskey .... Thank you for the exemplary content!
Small world! Worked briefly with Darragh in 04/05. Good guy! I wonder if he ever finished that Mini he was building ?
Amazing video. This is the one for me. An M3 CSL on the garage for the weekends. I would need no more “super”car
Dream car stuff right here... Love it!!!
Love the owner's attitude to this :)
I'm feeling so sleepy, I looked at the title and thought it said: BMW M3 CSL Manual Conversation!!
No doubt it affects the value from a collector point of view - but i can't think of a car where by this mod would be more popular, and perhaps that will be reflected in re-sale value in years to come, especially when people are longing for a real driving experience away from the disposable electrified box they've been forced into for the majority of the time.
Actually, I believe this may prove otherwise. I think these guys will establish trend, which will shift the market perspective.
I would say it's been converted by professionals who know what they're doing. + With the lower ratio diff completes the package - makes the most of the engine/gearbox. I'd say compared to an original SMG M3 difference in price would be negligible. For the above reasons. End of the day personal preference.
The BMW M3 is near perfection the perfect track car! It's like Lebron James not the GOAT but the all round the Best Balanced player ever. That's the same for the likes of the BMW e46 M3!
Dream Car Driving leborn is gunna cry when he sees this .
With that comment you've just established your IQ is in the single digits mate. LeBron James does not and has never played defence. That's half the fucking game! A formidable offensive player but not a particularly stylish one.
Wow! best car manual!!! congratulations 👏
Gorgeous !!! I converted an SMG to the manual, then put it into an E30. I couldn't finish the project, sold it. Now drive an E46 325i...don't you wish I had that motor and gearbox. Still fun. 46M3 CSLs are $140,000 in Australia.
Aah yes, this is the beauty I am subscribed for.
Amazing work
Watching this has made me regret selling my E46 M3, miss rowing through the gears and hearing the raspy exhaust. Will own one again some day hopefully. CSL manual conversion is just amazing, hope more high mile CSLs come up for sale cheap enough to tempt me
Awesome car, no more words to describe its beauty.
Now, it is truly Perfect!
Henry's perfect heel toe gave me goosebumps.
Always nice to see a British engineer with a cuppa,You know magic is going to happen.
Wow! As a true BMW fan, just seeing the profile photo of this car makes me salivate. It’s beautiful. This e40’s series has nearly perfect lines.
5:12 That is definitely a hard fluid to find nowadays. Not many cars these days use such visco lock systems.
The acceleration was already amazing but now with the shorter ratios it must be mesmerising. Greatest saloon ever built and it'll never be toppled.
Now just put the steering wheel on the other side hahaha
the car is now perfect
I’ve got an E46 M3 6sp Manual.. just need the CSL mods now!
I've looked the CSL a few times to buy it but always been put off by the gearbox. Now I know, it won't be a problem anymore. Next time I get the chance, I will buy it.
People have been converting M3 SMG for a decade. With M3 CSL it was a question of value and originality, for most owners that car is an investment.
considering how rare the car is i wouldnt worry about the transmission. its still very good but it takes time to learn how to drive it properly. dont listen to people who have driven one for 10 minutes and tells you it sucks.
JUST AMAZING
God I remember waiting for any mention of this beautiful car in my international shipped issues of EVO Magazine back in the days of these E46 CSLs. I wish we had gotten them here in the states but like most special things from the automobile market we got none of them lol
What you do get is 50% cheaper and you get to actually experience your dream cars. Anyone but the rich would trade places with you in an instant. To give you an idea: base spec M2 is a $100K car here, god forbid you start ticking some options on it.
Wheeler dealers converted a left hand drive one few weeks ago ,looked simple but needed a reprogrammed ecu
A BMW SMG is one of those cars you end up mastering from temptation to expertise. At that point you wonder how much more you could wring out of it if it were manual.
Socks With Sandals Certainly for enjoyment a manual box wins but it is worth saying in the SMG 2’s defence that the reason it was chosen for the CSL was that the design brief was a quick lap (in this case of the Nordschleife). The engineers were concerned that the loss of time through manual changes would tip the laptime to over 8 minutes.
Finally someone who understands the SMG. it was a matter of seconds between winning and loosing, thus why the SMG in the CSL is so special. Nothing wrong with manual but removing that piece of engineering that went into building this car to WIN, with the CSL software in the transmission which allow gear changes split seconds faster than a normal smg, allowing perfect rev changes during downshifting to prevent wheel locking during hard braking and cornering, it's kinda of missing the point to why the CSL was built in the first place.
Evol M3 thanks man. I am definitely also a fan of what Darragh has done here on the CSL box. He is a very good engineer. Ex-Mercedes F1 team, and he did a rebuild for me on my old E46. He’s not getting his hands on my CSL’s SMG 2 though! 😂
I need a CSL like that in my life!
Just beautiful
I believe everythingapplepro also has converted his SMG to a manual. Awesome car and guys who seem to be pure petrol heads :D
I hope many other M3 owners get this done. I know I would if I could afford one. Thank you.
Finally! 😎 Still impressed by the very mechanic/metallic engine sound! 😍😍😍 I would probably not be able to drive one before I die, which makes me truly sad...