The late 1960s and early 1970s saw some of the most powerful machines line up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But endurance racing wasn't the only category that brought together ludicrously powerful and loud race cars. Group 2 touring racers were just as interesting.
The Group 2 class was first defined in 1959 and soldiered until 1982 when it was replaced by Group A. It's not the time and place to go through its complex history, so let's keep it short by saying that Group 2 was more permissive than Group 1, including more extreme modifications to regular production touring cars.
There are quite a few interesting cars to mention here, but none is as iconic as the BMW 3.0 CSL. These race cars were based on the BMW E9, the predecessor of the first-generation 6 Series (E24). A sleek and sexy coupe in production form, the E9 became a muscular, aerodynamic beast in Group 2 trim. The massive aero package earned the race-spec CSL the nickname "Batmobile."
The 3.0 CSL competed in various racing divisions in the 1970s. It won the European Touring Car Championship in 1973 and then dominated the series again from 1975 to 1979. It also scored victories in the IMSA GT Championship and won BMW the Group 5 manufacturers' title in 1976. In 1973, the "Batmobile" scored a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
But the CSLs weren't just fast and reliable. They also looked unique and sounded downright menacing. Howling under full throttle and spitting flames during downshifts, the "Batmobiles" were the main attraction no matter the track and the competition.
Many of us are obviously too young to have seen them in action, but thanks to today's historic racing series and enthusiasts like 19Bozzy92, we can witness these cars relive their glorious days.
The footage below shows a pair of 3.0 CSL race car gunning like there's no tomorrow at the Monza Historic racing weekend. Both are dressed in BMW's iconic racing livery, with the red, blue, and purple M colors adorning white and black body shells. You can also see a few Ford Capri RS 3100 racers in there, BMW's main competition back in the day.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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