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Written by Ian Westacott
It"s officially Auction Season, which means rare chunks of metal are going to be exchanged for rather large chunks of money. And this one, offered up at RM Sotheby"s Monterey sale, is as rare as they come. As you can see, it is entirely excellent. Oh sure, it"s got an official name - the BMW 3.5-litre CSL IMSA - but simply put, it"s magnificent. BMW built the thing in 1974, and in short number, too - this is one of only five such CSLs in existence. Of the five, four were actively raced. Including this one. Successfully, too. This CSL debuted at the 24 Hours of Daytona in February 1975, but due to engine troubles it had to retire from the race early. BMW returned a month later at the 12 Hours of Sebring where it finished on the top spot, not least thanks to the herculean efforts of driver Brian Redman, who recorded seven hours behind the wheel in total. It continued to race in "76 recording a number of finishes, including a win at the Six Hours of Silverstone in May. It continued to race, and in 1978 was believed to have set a IMSA GT series record at Laguna Seca.
Date written: 8 Aug 2019
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 16537
It"s officially Auction Season, which means rare chunks of metal are going to be exchanged for rather large chunks of money. And this one, offered up at RM Sotheby"s Monterey sale, is as rare as they come. As you can see, it is entirely excellent. Oh sure, it"s got an official name - the BMW 3.5-litre CSL IMSA - but simply put, it"s magnificent. BMW built the thing in 1974, and in short number, too - this is one of only five such CSLs in existence. Of the five, four were actively raced. Including this one. Successfully, too. This CSL debuted at the 24 Hours of Daytona in February 1975, but due to engine troubles it had to retire from the race early. BMW returned a month later at the 12 Hours of Sebring where it finished on the top spot, not least thanks to the herculean efforts of driver Brian Redman, who recorded seven hours behind the wheel in total. It continued to race in "76 recording a number of finishes, including a win at the Six Hours of Silverstone in May. It continued to race, and in 1978 was believed to have set a IMSA GT series record at Laguna Seca.
Date written: 8 Aug 2019
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 16537
