Photo: BMW
Just as we said weeks before the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance opened its doors, BMW brought out two concepts for the event: the M4 GTS and this, a reinvention of the 3.0 CSL Hommage Concept.
The 3.0 CSL Hommage R is a car that celebrates 40 years of BMW presence on the North American continent. To do so, they fitted it with a livery that matches the one of the race-winning 3.0 CSL from 1975.
That was the year when BMW of North America was founded and the first time the brand sold cars outside of Europe. It was also the first time BMW Motorsport started racing in the States as part of the IMSA series.
Initially, the audience was so unaware of the Bavarian brand that they thought the letters in its name stood for British Motor Works. Of course, that didn’t stop the 3.0CSL from winning the 12 Hours of Sebring and at Laguna Seca eventually.
The 3.0 CSL Hommage R concept wants to pay tribute to that era as well as show what is possible today thanks to the incredible advances in technology we can use. The car was designed starting with the driver and everything else was built around him.
Even the driver’s helmet, race suit and seat were created before the rest of the car, just to make sure everything fits correctly. Such an approach changed the way the interior functions have been laid out.
The helmet visor, for example, projects situation-based information such as the car’s speed, gear and engine revs right into the driver’s field of view, replacing the traditional Head-Up display.
Then there’s the aforementioned race suit that also has some neat tricks up its sleeves. For example, if both the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel, illuminated piping integrated into the sleeves of the suit shows the progress of information out of the steering column over the driver’s arms and into his visor.
As a matter of fact, almost the entire car is made of CFRP with the roll cage, roof and side sections being built using the lightweight, resistant material.
The remaining parts installed inside must have a clear purpose. Even the instrument panel that has a wood-like presence is a cross member and a purely structural element. As a matter of fact, the wood strip on it displays the track layout and braking points on the 3.0CSL Hommage R.
“Both inside and outside, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R is primarily a reflection of its function. The exterior and interior design is based around the requirements of motorsport as far as the car and driver are concerned; aerodynamics and driving dynamics on the one hand, the most direct connection between driver and machine on the other,” explains Karim Habib, Head of Design BMW Automobiles.
On the outside, you’ll immediately notice the livery that hints at the 1975 race car while the rest of the body remained unchanged compared to the original 3.0 CSL Hommage concept, a tribute that is well deserved.
That was the year when BMW of North America was founded and the first time the brand sold cars outside of Europe. It was also the first time BMW Motorsport started racing in the States as part of the IMSA series.
Initially, the audience was so unaware of the Bavarian brand that they thought the letters in its name stood for British Motor Works. Of course, that didn’t stop the 3.0CSL from winning the 12 Hours of Sebring and at Laguna Seca eventually.
The 3.0 CSL Hommage R concept wants to pay tribute to that era as well as show what is possible today thanks to the incredible advances in technology we can use. The car was designed starting with the driver and everything else was built around him.
Even the driver’s helmet, race suit and seat were created before the rest of the car, just to make sure everything fits correctly. Such an approach changed the way the interior functions have been laid out.
The helmet visor, for example, projects situation-based information such as the car’s speed, gear and engine revs right into the driver’s field of view, replacing the traditional Head-Up display.
Then there’s the aforementioned race suit that also has some neat tricks up its sleeves. For example, if both the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel, illuminated piping integrated into the sleeves of the suit shows the progress of information out of the steering column over the driver’s arms and into his visor.
But wait, there’s more!
The seats are made of carbon fiber and their side section design reflects the anatomy of the seated driver, for maximum support in any driving situation. Their back seats are also connected to the body of the car via a carbon fiber element that increases the torsional rigidity as well.As a matter of fact, almost the entire car is made of CFRP with the roll cage, roof and side sections being built using the lightweight, resistant material.
The remaining parts installed inside must have a clear purpose. Even the instrument panel that has a wood-like presence is a cross member and a purely structural element. As a matter of fact, the wood strip on it displays the track layout and braking points on the 3.0CSL Hommage R.
“Both inside and outside, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R is primarily a reflection of its function. The exterior and interior design is based around the requirements of motorsport as far as the car and driver are concerned; aerodynamics and driving dynamics on the one hand, the most direct connection between driver and machine on the other,” explains Karim Habib, Head of Design BMW Automobiles.
On the outside, you’ll immediately notice the livery that hints at the 1975 race car while the rest of the body remained unchanged compared to the original 3.0 CSL Hommage concept, a tribute that is well deserved.
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